Science Department Minimizes Risk p2
Winter Formal Stories p5
Set Crew Extends Stage for ‘Anything Goes’ p14
THURSDAY FEBRUARY 13, 2014
THE HOCKADAY SCHOOL
news p2
features p7
castoff p11
infocus p12
arts & entertainment p14
sports & wellness p18
perspectives p21
11600 WELCH ROAD DALLAS, TEXAS 75229 VOLUME 65 ISSUE 4
photoessay p24
Hockaday Conducts Independent Investigation Alumna brought allegations of misconduct against former faculty member
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»» The hookup culture does not come without consequences. p12
Alumna Stars on Popular TV Show “Teen Wolf” Former Hockaday student Holland Roden knew she needed to give her audition for the part of Lydia Martin in MTV’s “Teen Wolf” a twist. She would be competing against a pack of models, so she practiced the catty mannerisms made famous by classic “Mean Girl” Regina George. Then, as any Hockadaisy would, she started thinking about the reasoning for the written shallowness of the character. By the time Roden walked into the audition, RODEN continued p15
DAISY TO DIVA Holland Roden plays a classic mean girl on “Teen Wolf,” with a twist: she has a genius IQ of 170.
PHOTO BY EMILY YEH
Mary Clare Beytagh Web Editor
NO strings attached PHOTO COURTESY OF MTV
n alleged case of misconduct directed at a Hockaday student by a former faculty member nearly 30 years ago came to the attention of Eugene McDermott Headmistress Kim Wargo on Dec. 19. Just after the early dismissal for holiday break, Wargo received a call from Nanci Kauffman, Head of The Castilleja School, an all-girls independent school in Palo Alto, Calif., who had employed the former teacher since 1992. The Hockaday alumna, whose identity remains undisclosed, along with an alumna of The Baylor School, a co-ed college preparatory school in Chattanooga, Tenn. who had also employed the former faculty member, notified Kauffman of allegations of misconduct that occurred while each was a student at her respective school. Castilleja has conducted an independent investigation but will not divulge details. The faculty member has since denied the allegations and resigned. Hockaday has approached this situation with students as the main focus. After receiving the news, Wargo notified Texas Child Protective Services and spoke to the Hockaday alumna. She also notified parents, students and faculty via email on Dec. 20. When students returned from break, Wargo organized assemblies in Middle and Upper School to discuss the matter. At a January faculty meeting, Wargo reminded teachers of their obligation to contact CPS if they suspect any mistreatment of a student. “We exist as an institution to provide a quality, safe, nurturing educational environment for our students,” she said. Lori Carr, an attorney who specializes in Labor and Employment Law, is conducting an independent investigation for the school. “One of the most important things is that the school allows this investigation to be handled independently by an outside investigator so that we do not compromise the investigation,” Wargo said. Director of Communications Melissa Allan said there is no current timeline for the investigation, but the school will disseminate information as it becomes available. “Hockaday intends to proceed with transparency,” Allan said, “and report findings at the conclusion of the investigation.”
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I don’t really buy into the idea that I should tailor my application into something that the college wants. Senior Shreya Ahuja p6
02/03
THE FOURCAST
FEBRUARY 13, 2014
We’re Hockadaisies, and we hold ourselves to high standards. Avery Zibilich ‘08 p4
Briefing
Flash Factor Not Worth the Danger PHOTO BY MARY CLARE BEYTAGH
Students Design Centennial Sculpture
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Hockaday hosts the Metroplex Math Competition for the first time on Jan. 18 p3
The senior class gift to Hockaday this year is an art sculpture designed for the Centennial Center by Upper School art students, glass artist Carlyn Ray and Visual Arts Chair Susan Sanders. The senior class voted on their favorite designs for the sculpture in December. Elements of designs by juniors Molly Nelson and Lauren Axmann were selected to be incorporated into one sculpture. Sanders is currently working with Middle School girls to create casts for textures that will be used as part of the glass elements of the piece. Alaina Rodriguez Photography Editor
Construction on Schedule Andres Construction Services met its December goal of framing and sheathing the exterior walls of the new science building. Although the snow days on Dec. 6 and 9 delayed the construction team, the crew came in on Saturdays and caught up on the building schedule. By the end of January, the crew had installed frames for all glass windows and finished the brick structure for the “Egg” that will house the Foucault pendulum. Glass windows were placed in the pendulum structure by the end of the first week of February. The science building is set to be completed in August. Sunila Steephen Staff Writer
PHOTO BY CHARLSEA LAMB
THE “EGG” The Foucault pendulum will be located in this brick building, called the “Egg,” and will be finished in August.
Council Takes the Initiative Upper School Student Council holds discussions as a part of the Whole Girl Initiative
After a Jan. 2 chemical explosion at Beacon High
“It’s incumbent on teachSchool in Manhattan, Science Department Chair Dr. ers who have more experiin the lab Marshall Bartlett was in disbelief. “Why would any- ence to share that with younger one pour methanol on an open flame out of a gallon teachers,” Lawson said. “I jug?” he asked. “You’ve got to be kidding me.” Bartlett think every program is improved by having younger people shared this reaction with many of his colleagues. Upper School chemis- with lots of energy and enthusiasm try teachers Dr. Beverly Lawson and come in, but I think that the experience factor, especially as far as safety Ann Ojeda were similarly shocked. In part because they could not is concerned, is important.” Ojeda requires her students to believe such an inexperienced teacher would try to do a flammable ex- wear goggles and aprons after they periment outside a ventilated hood. cross the pylon, the beam in the In part because they would never chemistry portable that divides the use methanol as an accelerant. And classroom space from the lab space. “And if they don’t,” Ojeda said, in part because a major accident like the one in New York has never hap- “I’m right there to holler at them.” Ojeda and Lawson have teamed pened at Hockaday in the 28 years up to teach organic chemistry this Lawson has taught. Skin lacerations, eye burns, year, which involves some more hazchemical spills and even explosions ardous organic chemicals. The lab are ever-present dangers in a chem- safety expectations, however, have istry lab. In Hockaday’s portable labs, not changed. Senior Catherine McGeoch, however, safety is the most imporwho has previously taken chemistry tant thing, Lawson said. Lawson, who describes herself and AP Chemistry, is in the organic as a stickler about goggles, passed chemistry class this year. “Part of our on her experience to Ojeda, who proposal is about how we are going was a part of the lab safety team at to be safe with the chemicals we are Texas A&M University and is now in using,” she said. In other words, in orher third year of teaching chemis- der to write the required lab proposals before beginning experiments, try at Hockaday. the students must look up the mate-
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he Whole Girl Initiative, instigated by the Upper School Student Council, promotes the idea of students having a healthier lifestyle at Hockaday and in their personal lives. Upper School advisories divided into pairs to participate in the Whole Girl Initiative discussions during conference on Jan. 21. The Council prepared three questions in advance to spark discussion among students about the causes of stress at Hockaday and how to alleviate it. “We wanted students to take it in whatever direction they wanted to see what those main causes of stress were,” senior Meredith Mihalopoulos, Student Council President, said. The first part of the initiative was the completion of the High School Survey of Student
Engagement that students took last spring. Questions regarding students’ lives at Hockaday provided statistics for Student Council. The discussion was meant to incite more anecdotal thoughts than factual ones. “We wanted to hear more of personal experiences from the students,” Mihalopoulos said. Upper School advisors recorded the results of the discussion and relayed them to Student Council. On Feb. 5, the Council split into subcommittees to analyze trends between the discussions to try and create a less stressful environment at Hockaday. “We might want to learn about more specific details like ‘What are different factors that play into it?’,” Mihalopoulos said, “And then we would want to
BETTER SAFE THAN SORRY Seniors Shivani Sharma, Katherine Magee and junior Holly Haley don safety goggles in an Organic Chemistry class to ensure lab safety.
rial data safety sheet (MSDS) for each chemical. Lawson said that some younger, more inexperienced teachers conduct more showy experiments to get their students excited about science. “As a teacher,” Ojeda said, “I never want to do anything just for the shock value. I want it to tie into what we’re doing, so you have to have a mastery of the chemistry.” One of the more famous flashy experiments done in Hockaday chemistry, dubbed the Gummy Bear Experiment, involves potassium chlorate and a gummy bear, which together produce bright fire and a caramel-like smell as the sugar burns. Lawson and Ojeda said they always take proper precautions such as performing the experiment in a flame hood to reduce the associated risks such as burns or fume inhalation. Other experiments, however, have been phased out of the curriculum because of the unnecessary hazards they pose to students. One such experiment, called the Ammonium Dichromate Volcano, used a little bit of ethanol (not as flammable as methanol) to burn the chemicals. Because the experiment uses hexavalent chromium, a known carcinogen, Lawson determined it was not worth the risk.
look into getting more evidence and collecting more data.” One of the main points talked about during Upper School Math Teacher Karen Sanchez’s advisory’s discussion was the issue of teachers being strict about the three-test rule; if a student has three major assessments scheduled on the same day, the rule states that they are allowed to reschedule one. Head of Upper School John Ashton said that test calendars similar to those implemented in the Middle School curriculum have been considered at the faculty level to help manage with scheduling assessments on the same day. “If you have a significant schedule issue, you need to be comfortable with your teachers and talk with them,” he said. Mihalopoulos hopes that
LAB SAFETY continued p5
in the future, Hockaday girls will not only be able to achieve a sense of balance but also be able to defeat the perfectionist mindset at Hockaday. “I think that Hockaday can continue to do a better job of encouraging students to pursue their interests no matter what they are, and that they really don’t have to ‘have it all’,” Mihalopoulos said. Ashton said that a critical part of Upper School at Hockaday is empowering girls to live meaningful lives. “I want you girls to feel like you’re driving this car, not the ones being driven,” he said. “I want to see you girls living a life that is meaningful to you, as defined by you.” Erin Thomas Staff Writer
news
hockadayfourcast.org
THE FOURCAST
FEBRUARY 13, 2014
The Fourcast welcomes any comments about published information that may require correction or clarification as well as any news tips. Submit to Molly Montgomery, Public Relations Director, at mmontgomery1@hockaday.org.
MATHEMATICS
Hockaday Hosts Annual Math Competition Students and teachers collaborated in preparation for the Metroplex Math Competition that the school hosted for the first time
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ost students who attend math competitions don’t think about who struggles to write the questions. Instead, they struggle to answer them. During first semester, Hockaday Math Club members and the Math Department wrestled with the writing perspective, formulating competition questions in preparation for the annual Metroplex Math Competition on Jan. 18. One hundred ten students from local Dallas private and public schools, including Cistercian, Greenhill, St. Mark’s and Ursuline, participated—an increase from the 57 students who competed last year at Parish. As hosts, Hockaday students were not allowed to enter the competition. This was the first time Hockaday hosted the competition. Hosting required months of organizing the competition as well as creating and compiling new competition problems. On competition day, Hockaday Math Club members and math teachers provided directions to rooms, proctored sessions and graded tests. Upper School math teacher and Math Club coach Jessica Chu, with the help of Upper School math teacher Rachel Grabow, took charge of orga-
nizing this year’s competition. the numbers and sometimes William Song, a Cister- the meanings,” junior Mary cian junior, said that the com- Zhong said. “The solution is petition “ran very smoothly. based on the same theorem, or The proctors were on fact, but the problem top of things.” is different.” Clara Ann NorHowever, while man, a St. Mark’s math they emulated a wide teacher and Math Club variety of past probcoach, agreed with It’s hard lems, the students and Song, noting that “the teachers were creative planners left no detail to come as well. “We tried our to chance. Participants up with best to be original and were given maps, deadd different probtailed instructions and questions lem solving elements,” spaces to meet.” Chu said. that The Metroplex While writing Math Competition cov- someone questions, the stuers a variety of math has not dents kept in mind topics: Algebra I, Ge- come the quality of the comometry, Algebra II, petition problems. Precalculus and Cal- up with “We wanted to imculus. Each individual before. prove on the variety of is allowed to take two Upper School questions and the dif45-minute subject tests math teacher ficulty level, to make with the option to take Jessica Chu the questions chalthe tests either open lenging for students (meaning the student has com- but not almost impossible,” pleted a full year of the subject) Zhong said. or closed (meaning the student Junior Sarah Zhou added is currently enrolled in the that they wanted the quescourse at school). tions more “math competition “It’s hard to come up with geared” and not simply “a test questions that someone has not of what you learned at school.” come up with before,” Chu said. Zhou, who has never writIn fact, the writing process re- ten or compiled math problems quired students and teachers to before, found the competition “think out of the box,” she said. to be a learning experience. “We took the basic ideas from “It’s interesting to see what goes other problems but changed into ranking a test from easy to
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FOURWARD Feb. 14 - 15 SPC Championships
March 8 SAT
Feb. 14 - 17 Winter Break - No Classes
March 8 - 16 Spring Break - No Classes
Feb. 18 Form Officer Elections
March 18 Founder’s Day Assembly
Feb. 19 Student Diversity Board Forum
March 21 Third Quarter Ends
Feb. 22 Winter Formal Feb. 25 Cum Laude Reception March 3 Student Council Installation March 5 Exam Review Day - No Classes March 6 US Exams - Languages and Science March 7 US Exams - History and Math
March 22 Habitat for Hummanity Dedication Form II/III Social March 24 - 25 ERB Testing, Form I March 31 - April 11 Community Service Essential Needs Drive April 3 - 5 ISAS Fine Arts Festival April 7 - 9 Hockaday Film Festival
hard and choosing problems you think are fit for the subject or level of difficulty,” she said. Chu, who never had the opportunity to write math competition problems in high school, agreed. “The girls had quality discussions about whether a question was too easy or too hard,” she said. “They also talked about which concepts a question would cover to see which test it fit best.” In addition to writing and categorizing questions, students also revised and solved the problems. Those who attended the competition were quite impressed with the quality of the competition questions. “There was a nice balance of types of questions,” Norman said. “The questions included abstract as well as numerical topics and also gave varied opportunities for problem solving.” Song agreed, noting that he particularly enjoyed the problems that were “simple yet challenging.” He added that he especially liked the last question of the team round, “which asked us to cut up some imaginary cake.” Because every host school hosts the competition two years in a row, Hockaday will host the competition again next year. In the past 11 years of the com-
petition’s running, St. Mark’s, Greenhill, Cistercian, Oakridge and Parish have hosted. “The idea behind different schools hosting the competition is so that we have a wide range of questions,” Chu explained. In the team round of the competition, Cistercian placed first, St. Mark’s placed second and Dallas Engineering and Science Magnet School placed third. In previous years, Hockaday has routinely placed top in the competition. Unfortunately, hosting the Metroplex Math Competition means Hockaday students cannot compete for two years in a row. Although Zhong does acknowledge this downside, she finds the competition to be a “very valuable experience for us to learn exactly what goes into planning for and running a competition like this, and to help proctor, help compile questions, help grade.” Norman concurred that the competition had a positive impact. She felt that the competition served as a time for both focused competition and comradeship. “I took away a strengthened sense of the community of talented students and teachers,” she said. Catherine Jiang Staff Writer
04/05
THE FOURCAST
FEBRUARY 13, 2014
AP Physics B Splits AP Physics I and AP Physics II will replace the current AP Physics B Course next year
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dvanced Placement B course is a very broad course Physics B, the algebra- that ‘encourages cursory treatbased physics course, ment of important topics in has been under review physics rather than cultivating by its administering agency, a deeper understanding of key the College Board, for a num- foundational principles.’” ber of years. At the end of In the future, AP Physics 1 this school year, the yearlong and AP Physics 2 will offer “the course will be no more. time needed to explore and In its place, starting the deepen understanding,” the 2014-2015 school year, the Col- College Board’s website said. In lege Board will offer addition, students two year-long courses will “have more that are aimed at fixing time for hands-on some of the problems exploration of physidentified in a review ics content and inconducted by the Na- THe idea of quiry labs.” tional Research Coun- switching “They have encil: AP Physics 1 and AP hanced what they Physics 2. Hockaday over so that want you to be dowill teach Physics 1 as the course ing in terms of lab a semester course and work,” Bartlett said. Physics 2 as a full year is in line “They want you to course. with the way have this sort of During its review people learn experiential learnof the course, the Coling of physics, that lege Board asked for is a pretty it’s not just readfeedback from high powerful ing a textbook, that school and university you’re actually putphysics departments, thing. ting balls down Science Department Upper School ramps and zapping Chair Marshall Bartlett physics teacher each other with said. Many, he said, “re- Richard Taylor electrodes.” ported back that they Upper School didn’t feel like students were physics teacher Richard Taycoming out of the AP Phys- lor, a physics consultant for ics B program with a solid un- the College Board, thinks the derstanding of the concepts of change is a good thing. physics they felt they needed.” “They put a lot of thought As a result, some colleges into it,” he said. “They’ve been and universities were not of- working on it for five years or fering college credit for the more. The idea of switching course. Or, they gave credit for over so that the course is in the hours, but not for comple- line with the way people learn tion of a physics course. is a pretty powerful thing.” According to the College According to Taylor, reBoard’s website, the council search has shown students learn “concluded that the AP Physics better through inquiry labs.
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“The indication is that if you read stuff, it extinguishes pretty quickly. There is this exponential curve downward,” Taylor said. “If you do inquiry stuff, it slows the extinguishing a bit, and it becomes more a part of you, more intuitive, so it’s better, but it does take longer.” The College Board has stated that in the extra time the two courses will offer, lab work should be a key component of curricula. This begs the question of how Hockaday can shorten Physics 1 to just a semester. However, all Hockaday students are required to take beginning level physics. “We felt that asking Hockaday students to take two years of physics for one year of college credit was going to be a hard sell,” Bartlett said. “So what we thought we’d try was to take their yearlong Physics 1 course and offer it as a semester course targeted mainly at sophomore students who have just finished a year of physics their freshman year.” The Physics 1 course, Bartlett said, is an enhanced review of the material covered in the freshman year class and includes more difficult math concepts. The Physics 2 course, in contrast, covers material not included in Hockaday’s beginning level physics course, so Hockaday will offer the yearlong course as recommended by the College Board. Lori Jia, a sophomore currently enrolled in the AP Physics B course, believes the new system could
be a good change. “That way, you can have semester courses, and it is more flexible in your schedule should you want to take another semester class,” she said. The College Board also offers the AP Physics C course, which is calculus-based. AP Physics B and AP Physics C were always thought of as alternatives, Bartlett said. High school students who have taken or are taking calculus may choose Physics C; those with only an algebra background used to choose Physics B. However, the new Physics 2 course will cover many topics not addressed in Physics C, Taylor said, so a student could take both. “There’s more of an advantage doing Physics 2 and Physics C than Physics B and Physics C,” he said. Traditionally, at the university level, Bartlett said, “the calculus-based physics courses are the ones required of most science majors, at least chemistry, physics and usually earth sciences. Algebra-based physics is taken primarily by life science majors and those who need physics to move onto professional programs like medicine.” “We’re really hopeful that the course will go well,” Bartlett said. “We hope that the physics courses that they [students] take here inspire them to go on and take some additional physics somewhere else.” Emily Wechsler Copy Editor
New Courses for 2014-2015 School Year English
Researching & Writing for Publication King Arthur World Literature: The Arab in Literature
Math
Multivariable Calculus & Differential Equations
World Languages
Chinese Language and Culture
History
African American History American Dreams and Nightmares: A Cultural History of Postwar American Film
Science
Special Topics in Biochemistry AP Physics I AP Physics II
Hockadaisies For Hire Despite decreasing unemployment rates, Hockaday seniors look forward to future job searches and professional careers
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fter graduating from the University of Rochester in May 2013, Avery Zibilich ‘08 had her sights set on law school. However, in a fortunate turn of events, Zibilich was offered a job as an in-house lawyer for a development firm called N.E. Development in Dallas, only months after graduating from college. After working there for a short while, she took an investment position at a company in New York, where she says she is currently “loving her life.” Zibilich credits much of her success and self-confidence to Hockaday, stating that her alma mater does an incredible job of teaching girls how to present themselves to supervisors. “I don’t think I would have secured the job I have now so easily if I didn’t have the skill set I developed at Hockaday,” Zibilich said. She is living proof that there is something to be hopeful for after high school, despite the high unemployment rate. With Hockaday diplomas and a web of connections in their back pockets, Hockaday seniors transition into college with ease. However, finding a job means fighting the infamous unemployment rate, a percent that has undergone much fluctuation in previous years according to the monthly Current Population Survey. A study conducted last May by Georgetown University found that the overall unemployment rate for recent U.S. college graduates is 7.9 percent. In contrast, according to Hockaday’s Alumnae Office, the unemployment rate among Hockaday graduates from 20002010 is 15 percent. While this number may seem daunting, it is not completely accurate. It only accounts for the 178
alumnae who sent Hockaday their data out of the 1,169 who graduated during that decade. In addition, some of the 178 reported being unemployed, but are still in college or obtaining graduate degrees. Zibilich noted that while the unemployment rate of Hockaday graduates seems much higher than that of the nation, in reality, it isn’t. Zibilich urges Hockadaisies not to worry about unemployment because “the general process of applying for a job works in favor of the typical Hockaday student.” She noticed this specifically at an informal 2008 reunion where not one person attested to being in a “in serious need of a job,” she said. “That’s not to say that some girls weren’t temporarily out of work, but we’re Hockadaisies and we hold ourselves to high standards,” Zibilich said. “We don’t settle for less than what we deserve and what we have worked for." Seniors Allie Love and Melody Tong are also choosing to remain optimistic about their future job searches. “I feel like it’s important to be optimistic about something that’s so vital to you later on in life,” Tong said. “My main concern is finding the area that I’m really passionate about.” While Love does find the concept of not being able to find work “nerve-racking,” she agrees with Tong that staying optimistic is the only way to get through the process. “As long as you know what you want to do and are willing to go with the flow, you’ll land on your feet," Love said. Associate Director of College Counseling Elizabeth Jones definitely believes that Hockaday girls have a reason to be optimistic: they are very well-prepared. “I have never been more impressed with students than I
am at Hockaday,” Jones said. “I think [Hockaday students] are some of the most intelligent, articulate and well-prepared students that we could possibly be sending out into the world.” A lot of the skills learned throughout the college counseling process will eventually translate over to the job searching process, such as mock interviews, résumé building and selfreflective work. “The self-reflective piece involves asking yourself important questions like ‘What are my goals? Who is going to get me where I want to be?’” Jones said. “These questions aren’t just applicable to college, but also to the job search and, really, to the rest of your life.” Zibilich thinks that some
of the most valuable things Hockaday gives its alumnae are the connections and social skills they form as students. “I learned this at Hockaday: networking is one of the most important skills to have; never, ever burn a bridge and always put yourself out there,” Zibilich said. “And never forget to help your fellow daisies out!" Taking this knowledge with them after high school, Hockadaisies must find their own means of preparing for life post-college. Love thinks that the best way to get ahead is to simply get involved. “I’m going to get involved with a lot of different organizations in order to understand all the internships that are out there,” she said.
“Whatever happens, knowing what you want and starting early is best.” Jones said that, in the end, the best preparation for the sometimes disappointing world of jobs and unemployment is diving in head-first, while remembering to never let go of your past. “Take advantage of all your opportunities, continue to get involved...but always stay true to who you are,” she said. “Challenge yourself, push yourself. Figure out what it is that drives you, what it is that you love, and pursue it. Everything else will fall into place.” Alexis Espinosa A&E Editor
hockadayfourcast.org
THE FOURCAST
FEBRUARY 13, 2014
CENTENNIAL
A Formal Perspective The 1989 “Night to Remember” dance was the very first Winter Formal. Originally called Christmas Formal, Hockaday’s winter Sadie Hawkins dance has been a tradition for many years. In its early years, separate dances were held for each form at Hockaday. Though these Christmas Formals have been transformed into all-Upper-School off-campus events, the Upper School Student Council has maintained its role as the main organizer of the dance. Fine Arts Department Chair Ed Long reminisces upon past Winter Formals. Here Comes the Bride
Lights, Camera, Action
Get a Clue
Fine Arts Department Chair Ed Long stood in front of the young couple. “I hereby pronounce you husband and wife,” he said, joining the couple before him in eternity. Fake eternity, that is. As a part of the 1993 Winter Formal "Honeymoon in Vegas," the Upper School Student Council asked Long to be the minister of a wedding chapel. On one side of the dining room, Long, donning a clerical collar and a suit, composed a fake wedding ceremony and performed it for couples at an arch adorned with plastic flowers. Vegas is famous for its fast weddings, and Long took heed to this fact. Throughout the night, he married a new couple every 90 seconds. At first, Long was skeptical that the weddings would be enjoyable for anybody, but he was soon proved wrong, as a long line of couples formed. Four years later, in 1997, the Vegas theme was replicated as "Viva Las Vegas" and was held at Hockaday. Long repeated his role as minister; however, he was more experienced the second time around.
Roll out the red carpet: The 1984 Christmas Formal Christmas in Hollywood set the stage for all to see. The Council decorated the Great Hall in the form of a Hollywood movie screen premiere. Stations playing major Hollywood films, such as “Titanic,” were placed around the hall, and full-size movie posters were hung on the walls. One full-scale Klieg light—an enormous, round light used in moviemaking—was stationed on the steps of Hockaday leading up to the front of the school. The light could be seen shining across the sky for miles. In addition, a red carpet was rolled across the steps and extended into the Great Hall, where the dance was centered. When couples arrived at the steps leading up to the front of the school, flashes of light bombarded them as the paparazzi—well, actually, recruited eighth-graders—clicked away at their cameras.
One year’s Winter Formal was based on the classic mystery board game, “Clue.” Members of the Student Council dressed up as the female characters from the board game, including Miss Scarlet, Mrs. White and Mrs. Peacock, while their dates dressed up as male characters, such as Reverend Green, Colonel Mustard and Professor Plum. Couples attending the dance dressed in black and white. The playing pieces of the board game— candlestick, knife, lead pipe, rope, revolver and wrench— served as the inspiration behind the decorations.
'Tis the Season Another year’s Winter Formal “Old Fashioned Christmas” tapped into people’s nostalgia for childhood. It featured remodeled trains circling the venue, village scenes with snow carpets and other images of childhood Christmas memories. Catherine Jiang and Erin Thomas Staff Writers PHOTOS PROVIDED BY SCHATZIE LEE
ON FIRE (above) The Class of 1955 dances at the 1953 Christmas Formal: "Fireman’s Ball." Held in Tarry House, the Fireman’s Ball was adorned with firetrucks, hoses and a large sun hanging from the ceiling. Instead of just bringing one date, students would invite several boys. For each dance, a boy would sign his name on a girl’s dance card, which were in the shape of a fireman’s ladder. If a young man wanted to “borrow” a dance, he would simply “cut in” by tapping on a girl’s shoulder. OFF TO MOULIN ROUGE (left) Junior Nina Marientes ‘55 and her date Ross Love pose for a picture in the Class of 1955 Christmas Formal dance "Moulin Rouge," inspired by the real Moulin Rouge, a famous cabaret founded in Paris, France in 1889. The dance, located in the Great Hall, featured French posters and artworks decorating the walls.
LAB SAFETY continued from p2
Safety Experiments Minimize Risk
“We’re much more conscious of safety now than we were a generation ago,” Lawson said as she described her high school chemistry teacher, whose arms were covered in scars from lab accidents, “but some of those old experiments and demonstrations are still around.” At Hockaday, the Physics Department does have a variation of the Rainbow demonstration, the experiment that caused the explosion at Beacon. However, instead of burning volatile metals using methanol, the students burn chemical salts over a propane flame under teacher supervision, which illustrates the same concept with less risk. Bartlett said that the anxiety he feels about potential
dangers in the lab is the same feeling he has when his own kids do something dangerous. “Whenever they’re doing anything risky, your mind plays out all the worst case scenarios of what could go wrong,” he said. In order to educate teachers about the potential dangers, all the Science Department faculty in Lower, Middle and Upper Schools completed an online laboratory safety program last year. The course gave Hockaday a price reduction in the school’s insurance policy. The portable science buildings also went through a series of rigorous certifications over the summer. These included a number of regulations that codified spacing between buildings, proper ventilation, wastewater disposal and chem-
ical storage. The buildings were laid out in such a way that the AP Chemistry portable, which houses all of the chemicals, is closest to the edge of campus on Welch Road. To meet regulations, the architects also installed ventilation ducts that connect the yellow flame cabinets directly to the outside. All organic chemicals, acids and solids are stored according to storage guidelines from Flinn Scientific, a vendor of science supplies and educational resources. The fire marshal gave the school only one warning about boxes being stored too close to the ceiling, Lawson said, but the problem was remedied immediately. The only pieces of safety equipment the portable labs do not have are safety showers
in the biology and chemistry portables and a prep room in which to store the chemicals. In case of emergency, if a shower were needed, the student would be flushed with water from the sinks, Bartlett said. He assures, however, that the new science building currently under construction will have these features installed. Still, he believes this emphasis on safety can coexist with exciting science experiments. “We want our students to be impressed by the science,” Bartlett said. “But there’s enough impressive science that you can safely steer clear of the things that are really dangerous and still have an impressive science program.” Mary Clare Beytagh Web Editor
news
THE FOURCAST
FEBRUARY 13, 2014
06/07
Hiring of Independent College Consultants Increases School counselors and students reflect on why college applicants are looking toward independent counselors for guidance
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s the competition for admission to top universities has increased over the past years, so has the number of students hiring independent college consultants. A recent Huffington Post article noted that in 2013, 26 percent of college applicants— three times more than in 2003—hired an independent college consultant. Hockaday is just on par: a January survey revealed that 24 percent of the Class of 2014 hired one.
Associate Directors of College Counseling Elizabeth Jones and Skerritt, often exchange advice. “So for students who simply want another perspective, that’s very easy to get,” Wasden said. Senior Connie Deng also communicated with her independent college consultant, who is based in Atlanta, through technology. She Skyped with him about twice a week to review essays. As an international student, Deng wanted someone Deciding to Hire who was more of an expert in that field. “For international Senior Mary Margaret students, the admissions proHancock is one of the students cess is way different who hired an indethan the process for pendent college condomestic students,” sultant, whose name she said. In Decemremains undisclosed, ber, she was not adat the beginning of mitted Early Decision We feel last summer. to her first-choice After her initial pretty school, although she consultation, Han- confident was accepted Early cock met with him Action to a couple that we only one more time other universities. at the beginning of have a good Hancock was acsenior year. At this cepted Early Decision second meeting, they skill set to by the University of discussed her col- give you Pennsylvania in Delege list that she had cember, and she does formulated with guys good believe hiring an indeHockaday’s Associate guidance. pendent college conCollege Counseling sultant benefited her. Director of College Director Courtney “I think it definitely Skerritt. He advised Counseling Carol increased my chances that she should try Wasden of getting in,” she said. to add some harder schools to her list. “There were initially Choosing Not to Hire no Ivies on my list, but he encouraged me to go for UPenn,” Senior Emily Marucci was she said. also accepted Early Decision by The rest of her interac- the University of Pennsylvania tion with the independent in December. However, she deconsultant occurred via email, cided not to hire an indepensending essays back and forth. dent college consultant. Hancock felt like her consul“I wasn’t really sure how tant was critical. “He thought it much they could help me,” needed more direction. I ended she said. But Marucci has a up revising it seven more times personal connection with her with him before I sent it off to counselor, Skerritt: Skerritt has UPenn,” she said. sponsored Marucci’s club CaFor Hancock, her indepen- reer Mentoring Board since her dent college consultant offered sophomore year. “By the time I a different perspective of her was assigned, I knew her pretty essays. But Director of College well, and I think that helped,” Counseling Carol Wasden not- Marucci said. ed that she and her colleagues,
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STUDENT COUNCIL
Winter Formal Approaches Chair reveals details of this year’s annual dance
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here are 1,001 reasons to party at the annual Winter Formal dance on Feb. 22. The “Arabian Nights” themed dance will feature plenty of camels, controlled uplighting and drapery. Winter Formal Chair senior Ashton Gillespie has been planning the dance since her appointment by the Upper School Student Council in October. Her experience includes working part-time for Mathes & Company, an event planning firm, and organizing two weddings independently. “I feel like in past Winter Formals, people have come and then gone to their afterparties,” Gillespie said. “I think this one’s going to be a place you stay.” The venue, Park Lane Event Center, offers a wide open space and tall ceilings. There will be a separate coat check room for attendees to stow away their personal items. DJ André, a local DJ from the Ghost Bar, will provide beats. A texting option will allow guests to request songs via text. A free arcade center with
games such as Pac-Man and air hockey, as well as a full casino and photo booth, will offer entertainment off the dancefloor. Everyone can indulge in the chocolate fountain, cake pops by Crème de la Cookie and candy bar (to make your own candy bag). Party favors will include iced cookies crafted by The Cookie Company. Freshmen will arrive to the venue at 7 p.m. for a Mediterranean cuisine dinner. The senior lounge will be draped so that it is two stories tall, rising well above the dancefloor. Perks include couches with fun pillows and a special drink exclusive to seniors. Winter Formal T-shirts are available for purchase at $22 for one and $40 for two in the Bookstore. Proceeds will help fund the dance. The black tie-attire dance is from 8-11 p.m.; lockout is at 10 p.m. It is open to Hockaday Upper School students, who may choose to invite a date from another school. Tiffany Le Editor-In-Chief
At the beginning of her own college application process, senior Shreya Ahuja met with several college consultants for an initial consultation but ultimately decided not to hire a consultant at all. One reason Ahuja and Marucci chose this option was that they wanted to do things on their own schedules. In addition, financial costs were a major reason. “They’re extremely expensive,” Ahuja said. “I wasn’t sure that the benefits would outweigh the costs.” Outside college consultants typically charge $150 per hour, according to The Huffington Post. This means that, on average, families will spend approximately $3,000 total. Deng said that, like most international students, she paid more than $10,000 up front for unlimited sessions. This is no small amount of money, and Hockaday’s College Counseling Department is aware of these high costs. “I just hate to think of a family spending a great deal of money on someone who may give them bad advice,” Wasden said. But the ultimate reason Ahuja did not hire an independent college consultant is that she wanted the work she did to be her own. “I don’t really buy into the idea that I should tailor my application into something that the college wants or likes, because in the end, whoever I am needs to be revealed through that application, and the only way that can be true is if I have full control of that process,” she said, adding, “I felt like I could do a good enough job that I would feel comfortable sending in my own applications.” Ahuja was denied admission to Stanford University Restrictive Early Action, but she does not regret her decision to not hire an independent consultant. “For me, I like the idea of just having the integrity of my application being my entire style and thought and reflecting who I am.” She did take some advice from her initial consultations, though, such as contacting some of her colleges to show she was interested. “They gave me enough pointers so I could get started, but I didn’t think they could help me that much after that,” she said. Ahuja’s parents and a few of her friends did read her essays, although she did not really use Wasden, her Hockaday college counselor, as much for them. By contrast, Marucci emailed and met with Skerritt numerous times to refine hers.
Necessary or Not Deng did not think her Hockaday counselor, Jones, would have enough time to spend with her. “It’s not that they don’t do good work, it’s just that they have so many they might spread themselves thin,” Deng said. But Wasden believes that she and her colleagues are capable of guiding students well through the admissions process. “Do I think that there’s a need for any single Hockaday students who needs help? I do not,” she said, adding that Hockaday has one of the lowest counselor-to-student ratios in the country. According to a 2010-2011 report by the American School Counselor Association, the national average is 1:471. This year, Hockaday’s ratio is 1:40. Marucci thought that
Did you use an outside college counselor when applying to colleges this fall?
22% of the Class of 2014 say yes
78% of seniors say no Source: Class of 2014 Student Survey GRAPHIC BY MANISHA RATAKONDA
Skerritt guided her well through the admissions process. “Hockaday college counselors do a really great job helping you sort through your colleges, narrow down your top choices and give you all the information that you need in order to make an informed decision,” she said. Wasden does understand why a family might hire an independent college consultant. “If I had a student who attended a high school that did not have dedicated college counseling or did not have a counselor who was capable of guiding my child, I would look for some help,” Wasden said. “With that said, Hockaday is not that place. To you all, we’re just sort of normal. But within the profession, we’re nationally known.” Wasden’s multitude of credentials include being President-Elect of Texas Association for College Admission Counseling, evaluating applications for Boston University and Massachusetts Institute of Technology and running the Texas Association for College Admission Counseling conference for three consecutive years to train high school counselors. “We feel pretty confident that we have a good skill set to give you guys good guidance,” she said. “For someone to say ‘I need to hire another perspective’ seems kind of silly to me.” Marucci did not seek numerous perspectives, only showing her essays to Skerritt and her parents. “I think that having too many opinions makes it complicated to figure out which direction you should be going in,” she said. The College Counseling Department has surveyed students in the past asking why they hired independent consultants. Some responses included hiring because their older siblings had one or they knew one with a good reputation. One question asked students if they felt their needs were not being met in the office. “The answer was absolutely not,” Wasden said. “So I don’t know if it might be akin to hiring an academic tutor, just like we have excellent teachers here.” Hockaday’s college counselors can call colleges, advocate for students and write letters of recommendation for their students. “Independent college consultants can’t do that,” Wasden said. She hopes that Hockaday families will truly consider their reasons for
hiring an independent college consultant. “What can an independent counselor do for them that we can not?” she asked. Wasden noted the irony in the subject. “It’s funny, to me, a little bit, because I don’t think students here realize how often people who don’t attend Hockaday call us and try to hire us.” Unlike those at some other schools, Hockaday college counselors do not accept these offers, instead choosing to invest their time and energy into their students.
Taking Caution No credentials or experience is required to go into business as an independent college consultant. “There are people who’ve never made a decision on a file, seen an application or worked in admissions, and they’re guiding people on the admissions process based on stuff they’ve made up in their own heads,” Wasden said. “So, that worries me also—that you might be receiving advice from people who frankly don’t have good advice to give.” Wasden fears students might hire the wrong kind of outside college consultant. “Frankly, a lot of these folks might be somebody who was fortunate enough to be admitted to an Ivy League institution, and based on that, they start a business. And people think, ‘Oh my gosh, he went to Harvard, he must be prepared to tell me about an entire industry,’ and that worries me a little bit,” she said. “I can’t perform surgery just because I went to a university with a medical school.” With the growing competition, parents often want to do as much as possible for their daughters to maximize their chances of acceptance, and one way of doing so is hiring an independent college consultant. “I think it gives you a sense of security,” Hancock said. That was the initial reason Ahuja sought after an independent college consultant. “I was like, ‘if I don’t get in, I want to think to myself that I did everything I could.’” Wasden believes this need for self-assurance drives these thoughts. “A lot of that is driven by fear,” Wasden said, “But we have data. And our data shows that students who don’t work with anyone but us do beautifully in the process.” Tiffany Le Editor-In-Chief
hockadayfourcast.org
THE FOURCAST
FEBRUARY 13, 2014
I would be switching over to a Mac for college, so I wanted a year to get used to it.
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Eighth grader Mira Mehta constructed a canoe for a middle school elective p10
Senior Marisa Salatino p9
FourSteps
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Study Grants Further Faculty Education
Preheat the oven to 350 °F and line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Take 4 oz cream cheese and 1 tbsp butter out of the refrigerator to use in the icing later.
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PHOTO BY ALAINA RODRIGUEZ
...To Making Red Velvet and Cream Cheese Valentine’s Cookies
Beat 2 sticks plus 1½ tbsp of softened butter and 1/3 cup of powdered sugar together, then add 1 tsp vanilla and 1 tbsp red food coloring and mix. Next add 1½ cups of flour, ½ cup of cornstarch, 1 tbsp of cocoa powder and ½ tsp salt and mix until it reaches a dough consistency. Refrigerate the dough for about 10 minutes and then mold a couple tsps of the dough into heart-shaped cookies, about 1½ in wide. Bake for 12 minutes or until lightly colored. Beat the 4 oz cream cheese and 1 tbsp butter together and mix in one cup of powdered sugar. Spread the icing between the cookies to make the sandwiches. Megan Philips Staff Writer
PHOTO BY
MEGAN PHILIPS
New Class Added To Juniors’ Math Curriculum
Grant in 1999. “Every year teachers reunusually frigid for June—Upper School English two ceive Prentiss Grants,” said Cathy teacher Dr. Katherine Downey meandered through Murphree, Provost and Assistant the packed sidewalks, walking past the farmer’s Head of School for Academic Affairs. market filled with cheese mongers and fishmongers, “That fund provides more funding than a normal inhaling the scent of baking bastudy grant would, and it lets people do guettes wafting down the street and some pretty cool things.” listening to the whispered converThe Prentiss Grant is only given sations between the French natives. to two or three teachers each year. Her mile-long walk took her not to a Faculty can also apply for general tourist destination but to the Amerstudy grants which are independent ican University in Paris. Hockaday from the Prentiss Grant. The three was sponsoring this trip to France so main grant categories are academic, that the English teacher could concurriculum and travel study grants, tinue learning French. though there are many others that Last June Downey participated Hockaday offers. in a three-week-long language imFaculty members apply for a mersion program at the American general study grant by submitting University in Paris. Her studies and an application to the study grant travels were made possible by the committee, outlining the program Prentiss Grant, which Hockaday ofthat he or she would like to study fers to its faculty every year. and how it would support their con“The experience of living sometributions to Hockaday. Virtually all where else was amazing,” Downey said. proposals for general study grants “I was able to learn about something are accepted. For the 2012-2013 school that does not necessarily relate directly year, there were a total of 46 grants to my field of work because I’m an Enawarded, and approximately half glish teacher, which was exciting.” were summer grants. To honor the teaching that their “It seems to be getting more popular daughters, Paige ‘92 and Kennedy ‘99, as word gets out, which is great because received at Hockaday, Michael and Pathat’s what we want,” Murphree said. tricia Prentiss established the Prentiss Study grants can range from a
Bundled up in her blue scarf—the weather was
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eometry, Algebra 2-PreCalculus, Calculus Analytical Geometry, AP Calculus BC and soon Multivariable Calculus are all classes juniors Sarah Zhou and Mary Zhong will have taken over the course of their high school career. Zhou and Zhong are two of seven juniors taking AP Calculus BC this year. All hope to continue their math studies next year. Unfortunately, until next year, there was not a class offered after AP Calculus BC. In the past years, seniors who took AP Calculus BC as juniors could take Multivariable Calculus on Online School For Girls; however, Zhou and Zhong did not hear a lot of positive comments about the course. “We talked to a lot of seniors who
have graduated that took the course online and they had a bad experience with it,” Zhong said. Senior Anita Wang, who is currently taking the Multivariable Calculus and Differential Equations class online, said she likes the flexibility of the course. “I definitely still miss the personal connection that I would have had if I were studying in a traditional classroom setting,” Wang said. Rachel Grabow has taught many juniors in AP Calculus BC at Hockaday and understands that the online program might not be the best fit for Hockaday students. Grabow has been asked to teach the course next year. “I would keep hearing from students how much they disliked it and how they would prefer
ACCEPTANCE LETTERS In February, Middle School science teachers Patti Black and Olga O’Reilly received letters notifying them that they are the recipients of this year’s Prentiss Grants.
few hundred dollars to a few thousand, depending on the programs that faculty apply for. The funding for academic study grants comes from the Professional Development Fund and the Ela Hockaday Fund, which are supported by contributions to the school. “Study grants allow teachers to specialize in current fields and get more academic preparation or explore new fields,” Murphree said.
From Teacher to Student At 6:35 every Monday night, Upper School history teacher Lucio Benedetto packs up his silver MacBook Pro Laptop, tosses a few books into his bag and drives to the University of Texas at Dallas. He strolls into a classroom, but instead of taking a seat behind the professor’s desk, he takes a seat as a student. Benedetto sheds the role of a teacher and becomes a pupil. “It’s interesting that I get to teach the girls during the day and then turn around and be taught by a professor at night,” Benedetto said. Currently working toward his Ph.D. in Humanities Studies and Literature, Benedetto attends classes every Monday night from 7 to 9, and the Hockaday study grant provides some of the funding to help him do that.
a class that meets regularly on campus and a teacher here on campus that they could talk to face to face,” Grabow said. Multivariable Calculus, a second-year college course that works with X, Y and Z planes, is offered at Greenhill, and St. Marks offers it as an independent study. With that in mind, Zhou and Zhong and the other juniors hoping to take the course next year—Rita Lee, Yolanda Wu, Antara Palit, Ingrid Choi and Vicki Su—wondered why couldn’t the course couldn’t be offered at Hockaday, too. “Sophomore year we approached Ms. Sutton about the idea,” Zhou said. Math Department Chair Jeri Sutton did not think the class could work out due to financial concerns and teachers’ packed schedules. However,
STUDY GRANTS continued p8
with the new integrated math program, more sophomores will find themselves in the same situation as Zhou and Zhong. “The math department was planning on doing this starting in 2015 because of the integrated math curriculum, [and] there would be more current sophomores taking Multivariable Calculus,” Zhou said, “but we asked them to advance it one more year so that we could take the course.” Both Zhong and Zhou are excited to take this course next year and “thank Ms. Grabow and Ms. Chu for all of their support and help in creating this class and [for] letting us continue in learning math,” Zhong said. Gretchen O’Brien Projects Manager
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THE FOURCAST
FEBRUARY 13, 2014
PHOTO PROVIDED BY KAREN ROBERTS
The Skype is the Limit Hockaday third graders Skype with schools around the world
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our memories of Hockaday Lower School are probably filled with digging for clay in the sandbox, playing mission impossible in P.E. and wearing green jumpers. However, the new generation of Lower Schoolers will remember more worldly experiences from their youngest years. That’s because they are Skyping with people from around the world. This year, Lower School teacher Karen Roberts introduced Mystery Skyping, a program that connects students from around the world via webchat. Hockadaisies connect with another elementary school class in a location unknown to the daisies, and the students ask each other geography-type questions to locate each other on a map. Thus far, the program has proven to be both fun and educational. Third grader Jocelyn Beard said, “It doesn’t even feel like I’m learning, and then I re-
alize how much I’ve learned at the end.” Roberts discovered the program through Twitter and from her professional learning network with other teachers, and she introduced it to her social studies classes since the students are currently learning about geography. The program involves schools not only in the U.S. but also in countries such as France, Hungary and Sri Lanka. During their Social Studies class periods, the third-grade class Skypes weekly, and the video sessions usually last 20-40 minutes. During each session, every student has a specific task assigned to her as the class begins to guess the location of the students on the other end of the webcam. The positions include mappers, inquirers, runners, a photographer, a blogger and even a student who live-tweets what is going on. “My favorite job, I have to say, is runners and inquirers. I’ve been both, and an inquirer
is the person that asks questions, but the runners are more important than the inquirers because they go from the geographers to the inquirers and tell them what questions to ask [the other class],” said third grader Annie Hurley. Once the classes figure out each other’s location, the girls enjoy discussing the similarities and differences in their schools and communities. Another one of Roberts’ students, Ella Weathersby, said her favorite thing about the program is “seeing how the two classes are different. They ask questions like ‘do you see rattlesnakes everyday?’ so it’s fun to hear the stereotypes.” So far, the third-grade class has had the opportunity to chat with students from schools in Hawaii, Canada and even an international school in Venezuela. Skyping across different time zones requires the teachers from both classes to coordinate the meeting
BRIDGING THE DISTANCE Third graders Skype with students from the Colegio Internacional Puerto La Cruz International school in Barcelona, Venezuela.
times. This can be difficult but has proven to be a fun experience for the girls. Beard has enjoyed the experience. “There’s this one school that we mystery skyped, I think New York City, and they had a playground on the roof,” she said. Hurley also found that the experience improved her geography skills. “We have this huge geography test that’s coming soon,” she said, “so I think it’s go-
ing to work.” Roberts plans to continue with the program in future years due to its popularity among students and its success in teaching the girls about geography. “As long as I’m still teaching Social Studies, I’ll keep doing it because the girls love it,” she said. “It’s lots of fun.” Manisha Ratakonda Staff Writer
Hockaday Sponsors Faculty’s Continuing Education Benedetto said that his studies have helped him relate to his students. “It’s fun sort of being in a classroom and being on the other side of the table,” he said. “You get to feel what your students are feeling.” But Benedetto is not the only teacher who is also a student. Upper School science teacher Kirsten Lindsay-Hudak is using her study grants to help further her education and acquire a Master’s Degree of Science in Biology through an online degree program from Mississippi State University. She said that returning to school reminded her of what it was like to be a student. “I think just the simple act of being a student makes you a better teacher because you’re walking in the same shoes,” Lindsay said.
Time Management With manila folders full of Hockaday papers stacked up next to his computer, another heap of papers for his research piled on his desk and books for his literature course interspersed throughout his office and living room, Benedetto admitted it can be hard to balance both work life and student life. “It can be hard to do both, but it makes me more disciplined since I tend to be more of a procrastinator,” Benedetto said. Lindsay agreed that it is difficult to juggle student life, work life and personal life. As
Lindsay tried to write a major students conducted last October paper for her online course, stemmed from Lindsay’s own her three-and-a-half-year-old courses. daughter, Olivia, tugged on her Junior Lilli Boren, one of arm and repeated “Mommy, the anatomy students performMommy,” distracting Lindsay ing the experiments, said that from her research—not to men- “it was really cool to see how tion the school work she needed pregnancy tests worked, so I’m to grade if she hadn’t already glad we did it. I think it’s great done so. Mrs. Lindsay goes to “I, of course, want school, too, because if to spend as much time the teachers are betwith my family, but it’s ter educated, I’ll be hard to be a student better educated, too.” in school, work a full Lindsay was able time job and have a to incorporate her family to take care of,” I think just knowledge into all of Lindsay said. “It’s a lot the simple her classes, not just easier when learning her anatomy classes. is your full time job, act of being “It’s actually very and you’re not learn- a student exciting. I’ve used ing and teaching.” a lot of what I’ve However, Lindsay makes you learned in my classsaid that this experi- a better es,” she said. “I’ve ence has helped her been able to update manage her time bet- teacher. labs, I’ve been able to Upper School ter. “It helps you figure update the informaout where you want to science teacher tion in general but spend your time,” she Kirsten LindsayI’ve also been able to said. “You figure out Hudak add in labs.” those things that you Benedetto said did before that may have not that his studies have also posibeen necessary. Time becomes tively impacted his teaching. a much more precious com- He has been able to provide modity that it was before.” tips and advice to his students through his own experiences. “I teach APUSH, and the Improving the Classroom girls [were] working on their juAnatomy students, acting nior research papers, and I tell as doctors, dipped the thin test them that I myself have at least strips into the yellow solution, two to three ‘JRPS’ that I’m writwaiting to see if the tips turned ing that are 10 to 20 pages long pink, indicating which women depending on the class,” he said. were “pregnant” since the strips “I can share little tricks to writmodel how a real doctor would ing research papers I’ve learned identify pregnancies or risks in and aid them.” Not only Upper School pregnancies. This lab that the
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teachers take advantage of the grants offered by Hockaday. Lower School science teacher Amy Banks, who is currently using a study grant to help her achieve her goal of earning her Master’s Degree in Education in Curriculum and Instruction with a concentration in STEM, said that the first study grant she received allowed to her take a course that helped her remember the material she would be teaching. “It was a huge content refresher for me,” Banks said. “It wasn’t necessarily that I didn’t know the information, I just felt more comfortable and confident in the material afterwards. I think it’s very hard to teach something you’re not solid in.” Though her studies have helped her immediately inside the classroom, Banks said that they have also helped her develop a completely new curriculum. “One of the things that it’s led me to already is that I’ve proposed and will be teaching a new course in the fourth grade next year,” she said. The new class is called “Invent to Learn,” which is an interdisciplinary course that incorporates science, technology, engineering, aesthetics and mathematics. “The class is going to be a sort of a tinkering maker. It’s sort of ‘I have a problem, what am I going to do to solve it?’” Banks said. “I’m excited about it, and I think my third graders are really enthusiastic. It all probably came out from the study grant.” In the last five years alone, Hockaday has funded a total of
GET A CLUE Match the cup with the teacher.
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A) Upper School history teacher Lucio Benedetto B) Upper School English teacher Jennifer Boulanger C) Upper School mathematics teacher Rachel Grabow D) Upper School English teacher Jennifer McEachern
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191 study grants, allowing faculty members to improve themselves and their students. Over the course of the last two years, Hockaday has funded advanced degree programs for 16 teachers and staff members each year. Thirty-five teachers have received the Prentiss Grant to date. The Prentiss Grant rotates each year between Lower, Middle and Upper school teachers. This year, it was offered to Middle School teachers, who applied in January. Middle School science teachers Patti Black and Olga O’Reilly were announced as recipients of this award in February. Black will spend eight days in Alaska’s wilderness with other expert photographers as a part of Alaska’s Inside Passage Photo Expedition. O’Reilly will utilize her Prentiss Grant to travel to Scandinavia to explore geographical formations. “I think that study grants are an amazing resource for teachers to have available. It’s one of the great pleasures and benefits of working at a place that fosters the idea that we are life-long learners,” Benedetto said. “It’s a great, great thing that Hockaday helps you out with. It just gives you the incentive to say, ‘Why not?’” “Why not?” is exactly what Downey said to herself before she applied for the Prentiss Grant. Except now, with her improved knowledge in the French language, she can say, “Pourquoi pas?” Courtney Le Features Editor
? Answers: 1D , 2B, 3C, 4A
STUDY GRANTS continued from p7
hockadayfourcast.org
THE FOURCAST
FEBRUARY 13, 2014
Seniors Take a Bite Out of Apple Laptops More and more seniors are exchanging their Toshibas for MacBooks
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hen walking down the senior hallway, you no longer see a homogenous line of gray Toshiba laptops perched on girls’ laps. Now, your eyes are met with computers not seen much on campus before. Many seniors are switching to Apple and filling the halls with Macs. With a wireless internet connection that all laptops on campus can access, Guestnet, over one-fourth of the senior class is no longer using their school-provided laptops. Before this year, only Hockaday students, teachers and approved guests had access to the internet at Hockaday. The few students who did bring their other laptops to school were not able to connect to the Hockadaisies wireless. The availability of Guestnet now eliminates that concern. “Guestnet was made available in response to feedback that I received from campus visitors who were unable to access the internet without contacting tech for a unique password,” Director of Technology and Information Resources Jason Curtis said. “I felt it would be benefi-
cial to all visitors to have this access with no extra setup.” Many seniors who will soon be purchasing new laptops for their first year of college found it easier just to make the switch now instead of buying the new Lenovo laptops Hockaday currently has students buy. “I knew I would be switching over to a
Mac for college so I wanted a year to get used to it,” senior Marisa Salatino said. Senior Payton Scott, who switched to a Mac this year, said she uses her Mac laptop for all of her school work and is able to use just as many programs on her Mac as she was on her old Toshiba. “It doesn’t crash at all, unlike my Toshiba,” she said. Her laptop, just a year old, has never had to be taken into the Apple Genius Bar, whereas her Toshiba was frequently taken up to the Computer Resource Center (CRC). The 13inch MacBook 73% of seniors 27% of seniors Pro starts at stayed with their switched to Macs $1,199 and Hockaday laptop the Toshibas started at $2,000 with downloaded software. The new Lenovo T h i n k Pa d s (to which Hockaday switched last SENIORS’ LAPTOP PREFERENCES year) cost $1,950 per student. Scott said one of the biggest advantages to the Mac Source: Class of 2014 Survey is the battery life. GRAPHIC BY COURTNEY LE
A new Mac’s battery life is 10 hours while a new Toshiba’s battery lasts about three and a half hours. “It’s really nice that I don’t have to have my Toshiba plugged into the wall all the time,” she said. Senior Paige Goodman, who opted to stick with her Hockaday computer, said that she didn’t find it necessary to buy a new laptop just yet. “I just don’t see the need to buy it now because my Toshiba is working relatively fine and if something does go wrong with my laptop during school, then I can go to tech,” she said. “But if I have a non-school supported laptop, then I’m on my own.” Apple computer warranties are one year, while the Hockaday laptops have a four year warranty during which students can take their computers to the CRC. According to Lowry, Hockaday is trying to transition away from a Hockaday server based information system to a Skydrive. “We’re moving towards what they call a cloud environment,” he said. “Your access will be on the internet, not the Hockaday server, so you can access it anywhere.” The move away from a centralized Hockaday server will also eliminate the process of synchronization. All of Hockaday’s data will be stored
on the Skydrive. The downside to not using the Hockaday Toshiba computers, however, is the lack of access to campus printers and other services. Curtis said the Guestnet is much more restricted than Hockadaisies. There are more blocked websites and services, and there is no access to the Hockaday internal network and printers. “This is to ensure that visitors do not use up all of our network resources by engaging in intensive bandwidth, such as streaming media,” he said. Scott said that she often logs into the computers in the ARC to print her files or email documents to friends. Another drawback is that the Macs don’t have the OneNote program that many teachers use to teach, Salatino said. She cannot view her math notes or answer keys her teacher posts. But other programs such as Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Reader and Smart Notebook are all on the Macs. The Guestnet’s availability for everyone now has made Hockaday’s laptop policy a lot more lenient. Students, teachers and guests finally have Curtis to thank for this flexibility. Anisha Anand Business Manager
Help Shelby Cohron in the Fight Against Lupus Anyone can get Lupus, but it mostly affects women. There is no cure or specific cause Lupus is also more common in women of African American, Hispanic, Asian and Native American descent than in Caucasian women. Lupus is a lifelong disorder of the immune system. Immune cells attack the body’s own healthy tissues, leading to inflammation and tissue damage.
If every senior at Hockaday gave $2, Shelby would reach her goal of $200.
In memory of Hockaday senior Shelby Cohron’s aunt, Tabatha Melchor, who died at the age of 44.
To donate, scan this QR code with your smartphone.
10/11
THE FOURCAST
FEBRUARY 13, 2014
FOUR QUESTIONS
Upper School Registrar Sharon Wright answers questions from The Fourcast’s readers
If you were a Hockaday student, what would be your ideal schedule?
How do you sort 482 kids and make it work?
I have thought about this for a long time. It’s hard to know since I’m not a student, but I was thinking about how great it would be to have classes that rotate. So A block is not always at 8:30 every morning, the next day it’s at 10, then the next it’s after lunch, like Greenhill has. And then also have classes that have varying lengths, so for instance one day A block is 80 minutes, but the next day maybe you don’t have it at all, and then the next day it is only 30 minutes. You know, just to review for the quiz, or whatever, but then also have some classes long enough for lecture and discussion, but not everyday. So, just mix it up a bit. It’d probably be interesting. You can also squeeze in another block or two that way. If you have, maybe, an eight-day rotation instead of a six day rotation. So, there are lots of possibilities for different ways to do schedules. I just think Hockaday is probably ready to go into some sort of rotating.
I actually do it one by one. After the software has worked, I go through and make sure that everyone is in the class that they selected, and if not, go to an alternative class. Then I go through and make sure that the classes are balanced so you don’t have four academic solids on one day and two fine arts and P.E. on the other day, and then I go through and make sure all the classes are about the same size, so all English classes should be 16, and there shouldn’t be one that has eight and another 20. And then I go through and proof and make sure again that everything the student has signed up for is what she ended up in and that each student is meeting the graduation requirements and has all the prerequisites for the courses that they are signed up for. By that time, I have looked at every single student five or six times and spent several minutes each time, so I spend about half an hour on each student. It takes all summer to do. I’m sure there is a quicker way, but that is the way I do it.
How do you choose who gets to be in what class?
If you could switch jobs with anyone at school, who would it be?
Sophomore Rajya Atluri
Senior Paige Goodman
Senior Maddie Bradshaw
Sophomore Greer Christie
I don’t really do that; the software does that. We have a software, Senior System, and there is a scheduling module. You know you input your choices online and select the classes that you want to take, and I arrange the schedule, but then it runs and throws the students into the classes itself. But it only does about 50 percent of the job because it doesn’t know that a senior has to take two semesters of senior English, or it can just drop math arbitrarily and there won’t be a math because P.E. was in that slot or something. So, I have to go back and massage it and make it work for everyone. But, initially, I don’t actually place students into the classes.
My immediate answer was that I would not want to switch; I really really like the job I’m doing. I always have. But then I realized that there would be one person I would want to switch with, and that would be a senior. I would love to be a student. I would love to take these classes because they all sound so good, and I know it’s hard, but that is who I would really like to trade places with. NEXT ISSUE: Anybody—including faculty, staff, students, alumnae and parents—can submit questions for Kief Teckle, Security Officer, to mmontgomery1@hockaday.org by March 31. Please include your name with your question. PHOTO BY SHELBY ANDERSON
Middle Schoolers Paddle Their Way to Victory A new Middle School canoe-making elective provides students with fun, interactive and unique opportunities PHOTO BY CLAIRE FLETCHER
T
he newest Middle School science elective, Boat Making, entered its second year at the start of the spring semester. Headed by seventh grade science teacher Peggy Cagle, the program incorporates engineering skills and competition to build a fast, impermeable, cardboard canoe. Last May, Middle School students climbed into their cardboard, duct-taped canoes in teams of two, not knowing whether or not their boat was going to float or sink, ready to paddle across the Hockaday Residence Pool, the culminating last challenge of their semesterlong boat-making elective. “We just sat in it and had oars, so we tried to row our selves through. It worked a little bit, but by the end all the boats were half collapsed,” said eighth grader Mira Mehta who was one of the guinea pigs of the pilot course. Many students will be paddling again this year. “I think a lot of [the students] from last year are going to try to do the elective again this year and improve on their boat design,” Cagle said. “It was exciting and fun, and I’m looking forward to doing it again this year.”
BOAT BUILDING (L to R) Seventh graders Parker Waters, Addy Sykes, Audrey Martin and Swiler Boyd sketch the dimensions of their boat in order to assemble their canoe.
Not all students made it to the finish line. “Most of them made it down one length of the pool, but only one boat made it down and back,” Cagle said. Cagle drew her inspiration from a freshman college engineering assignment that required her to build and race cardboard boats against other schools and other engineers.
The elective, however, is geared to Middle Schoolers. The task is to construct a cardboard, duct tape and waterproof canoe big enough for two people and buoyant enough so students can paddle down and back the length of the residence pool. The use of cardboard added to the challenge because the girls needed
to figure out a way to prevent the material from becoming saturated with water. “The challenge was making the boat and trying to figure out a way for it to stay afloat because we were going to be in it,” Mehta said. “We didn’t want it to sink and get wet.” Different from other electives, students did not receive a lot of instruction on how to build their boats, except for a few classes spent researching different boat models. “I didn’t want to make this a class where they had to sit down and listen to me talk,” Cagle said. “You get to use your hands, you get to be active and you get to be a part of a team.” The course required a more hands on learning environment than a traditional classroom setup. “We didn’t really learn the science behind it,” Mehta said. “It was more designing our boats and seeing whether or not it would work.” Mehta was the only girl from her grade to participate in the course last year. “It was hard to work together with girls that I had never spoken to before, but when we did, it was a lot of fun,” Mehta said. The elective requires teams of students to collabo-
rate on ideas, research different boat models and problem solve to achieve their goals. “I think it’s fabulously fun, and if you look at the educational part of it, it has engineering, creativity, problem solving—everything we want you all to apply to everything you’re learning,” Head of Middle School Linda Kramer said. During the canoe races, the students exercised their problem-solving skills by reacting to the changing conditions of their canoes. “They were thinking on the spot; if the boat was beginning to sink, they were thinking of ways to adjust,” Kramer said. “That’s one thing that I really loved because it required quick thinking.” In the future, Cagle would like to collaborate with more experienced students. “It would be nice to have some Upper School mentors for our teams,” she said. Since physics is a required Upper School science course, “they can probably learn from the Upper Schoolers’ experience in that way,” Cagle said. Claire Fletcher Staff Writer
hockadayfourcast.org
THE FOURCAST
FEBRUARY 13, 2014
Heart Ads The Fourcast sold heart ads throughout January. All proceeds, totaling $550, will go to Habitat for Humanity.
infoc
hockadayfourcast.org FEBRUARY 13, 2014
A current senior at Hockaday, who agreed to
Stephanie, had the biggest crush on a boy l
said he was not ready for a relationship bu
out, to be friends with benefits. She will
convinced that this would in time lead t
“I said okay, but the whole time I was think
he’ll like me.’ I mistook physical affection emotional affection as well,” she said, wasn’t.” Stephanie soon discovered that
and she was devastated. Left with a s she experienced firsthand the effects
The hookup culture, as it is fittingly named, is defin tional dating for casual, physically-orientated relationship Dr. Kathleen Bogle, author of the book “Hooking Up: Sex Campus,” said the hookup culture, in a large sense, is a resul force. “In the 1950s, men got married around age 22, and wom so they were using their high school and early college years to that people are marrying in their late 20s on average, they thi world to settle down, which paves the way for casual hookup With girls also facing pressures to focus on school an has found its way onto college campuses and now high sch term relationships an anomaly. The time commitment an demands have become too much for many full-time stude According to Campus Explorer, 33 percent of college s two “real” dates in their four years as a college student, tho interviewed admitted to having had a one-night stand. However, while the world views this new culture as ha Fourcast investigates the real-world implications it has for
FRIEND
PHOTO BY EMILY YEH
draw Self-Esteem
Having just broken up with her boyfriend, a girl can re to brag to their friends or maintain a reputation, girls can boosts in casual hookups. A freshman student, who agreed said that she has watched many of her friends go throug they can fill the void, and by hooking up they can make that the opposite though.” In fact, many people emerge from physical relationsh a January survey sent out to the Upper School, 49 percent lower self-esteem as a negative consequence of the hookup Form IV Dean and Upper School Health teacher Rebek cern, worrying about how this culture has impacted the worth. “[In the hookup culture] we are not requiring any e of time from that person; there is no investment,” Calhou ourselves and boys a disservice in saying that neither of us that’s a very problematic way for people to see themselves. Calhoun said that the problems in self-esteem stem from in pursuit of a real relationship before settling for just hooku In 2011 alone, two movies came to theaters with the plot ships: “Friends with Benefits” and “No Strings Attached.” have an exclusively physical relationship before one inev result? Heartbreak and chaos. These movies reinforce th humans to completely separate emotionality from physic ings we all have that need for belonging and love,” Calhou connection that maybe isn’t reciprocated, we start to questi wrong, and I do think that can cause some sort of emotion Calhoun also believes that this culture has the ability ize themselves, only see worth in their physicality or outw the person they are. “When people divide themselves like t relationships in which people are valued solely on one or tern. It becomes unhealthy,” she said. Ruby said that the hookup culture can cause girls to se more important than their inner qualities. “I think if the will realize that the guy doesn’t have an emotional conne cared about was their looks,” she said. “That doesn’t feel gre Speaking from personal experience and having obse that girls can, as a result, just see themselves as physical b ward appearances rather than inside characteristics or per
cus
12/13 THE FOURCAST
Fear of Losing Respect
o speak under the alias
last year. However, he
ut just wanted to hang
lingly agreed, secretly
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n for some underlying “which of course it he had a girlfriend,
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ned as people foregoing tradips. x, Dating, and Relationships on lt of women entering the workmen got married around age 20, o find ‘the one,’” Bogle said. “Now ink they have all the time in the ps in the meantime.” nd careers, the hookup culture hools, making dating and longnd expectations a relationship ents to handle. seniors have been on less than ough 72 percent of the students
aving “no strings attached,” The r both girls and society.
Walking down the hallways on Monday mornings, it is not uncommon to hear the whispered stories of the past weekend’s events. “She hooked up with whom?!” and “Literally everyone was making out.” However, these are still whispers. Girls are still not completely opening up to friends or peers about their hookups. In fact, only 14 percent of Upper School students believe that hooking up is the most common type of relationship at Hockaday, even though nearly one-third of girls are in or have had a no strings attached relationship. The discrepancy? Calhoun suggests that it comes from the fact that hookups are still not accepted as the norm. An element of shame and guilt still exists in a culture that at first glance seems accepting. “We have this new sense of freedom and liberation and feel like we can hook up with whoever we want, but have we come far enough that it’s something to be open about?” Upper School Guidance Counselor Margaret Morse said. “I don’t think we are truly there.” In the same survey, 52 percent of girls listed feelings of guilt and embarrassment as a negative consequence of the culture, and 70 percent listed losing respect from peers. When girls are still judging each other for this behavior, it is hard for them not to feel guilty or embarrassed, explained Calhoun. There is not enough shame, however, to keep girls from taking part in these relationships but enough shame that they do not talk about it. Stephanie explained that there is a stigma at Hockaday about hooking up, one that she has felt the wrath of. “I got a reputation last year because I made out with two guys that I wasn’t dating. After that, people believed a lot of the gossip around and about me,” she said. Bogle believes that the root of this problem can be traced back to the double standard that exists in these types of relationships. “Women’s behavior is scrutinized at every level of the hookup scene,” she said. “So, men who hookup a lot are called ‘players’ while women who do the same are called ‘sluts.’” Bogle said that it is difficult to categorize the hookup culture as a positive change when women’s self-esteems and reputations are still at stake. “I think guys talk about that, and I question what level of respect they have for that young lady. She may think she’s very popular, but popular for what?” Calhoun said. “It doesn’t seem that the package that is the hookup culture comes with a lot of mutual respect.”
28% of Upper School girls have been in a no strings attached relationship
In the Long Run In the movie “What’s Your Number,” protagonist Ally Darling (played by Anna Faris) reads in a magazine that 96 percent of women who have had more than 20 sexual partners in their lifetime will never get married, a result of being too emotionally damaged. Having had 19 partners herself, Ally resolves to revisit all of her exes in hopes of never reaching the notorious 20. The entire plotline focuses on the fact that if Ally exceeds 20 partners, she will not be able to find “the one.” Morse does agree, while not to the extent of the movie, that the ability to maintain future relationships can be impaired by the hookup culture. “We are social beings and what I worry about as developing humans, as teenagers in the midst of identity development, you are figuring out who you are in relation to other people, and the hookup culture is kind of postponing that. It halts that part of psychological development, pushing it into your 20s and 30s,” Morse said. This psychological development can include knowing what characteristics you like in other people, being able to compromise, communicating thoughts and feelings and maintaining a sense of identity during relationships. In her book “Unhooked,” author Laura Sessions Stepp explores how casual relationships can fundamentally impair the way girls approach long-term relationships and even marriage. “The traits that characterize good marriages are firmly established and include trust, respect and, more than anything else, commitment,” Stepp said in her book. “Hookups are about anything but these qualities. It’s as if young women are practicing sprints while planning to run a marathon.” Senior Natalie Ng is currently in a relationship that has spanned all four of her years in high school. “I think there’s a lot that I’ve learned. You don’t go into it knowing how hard it’s going to be especially for three and a half years, but there’s a lot of give and take and you have to work at it,” Ng said. She does believe that she has learned valuable skills from being in a partnership, whether that be a friendship or relationship.
NDS WITH
88% of Upper School girls see negative consequences of the hookup culture
wbacks
esort to a quick hookup. Either n often seek quick self-esteem d to speak under the alias Ruby, gh this cycle. “They think that t go away,” she said. “It’s almost
hips with lower self-esteem. In of students said that they saw p culture. kah Calhoun spoke to this cone way girls see their own selfeffort even if for a short period un said. “In this, I think we do is worth the effort, and I think .” m the fact that many girls were ups. Stephanie can attest to that. tline of physical-only relationIn each, two friends agree to vitably falls for the other. The he point it is very difficult for cality. “I do think as social beun said. “Every time we make a ion ourselves and what we did nal turmoil.” to make girls compartmentalward appearance and devalue that, and then it’s validated by the other, this becomes a pat-
ee their outside appearance as e guy doesn’t want more, girls ection to them, and that all he eat at all.” erved friends, Ruby explained beings, caring only about outrsonalities.
Still Empowered? Despite all of the negative consequences of the hookup culture, 75 percent of the Upper School students still see the hookup culture as an advancement for women in society. “Women’s sexuality isn’t taboo anymore. How can that be anything but progression?” senior Kellen Weigand said. She explained that despite potential consequences, women are finally allowed to do what men have been doing for ages. “Guys have been having casual hookups forever. I think we are playing catch-up,” she said. “I just think it’s continuing that trend of women saying that we can do whatever men do.” Stephanie, even with her fair share of bad experiences with physical relationships, said that this was a positive change for women. “It’s empowering to know that women can ask for what they want, and just because it didn’t work out for me, doesn’t mean it won’t for others,” she said. “There’s choice now.” The hookup culture, while a step towards more casual dating, is first and foremost a step away from traditional dating, Morse said. And with this step, girls are not prioritizing relationships before everything else. “I do think it is great progress that women no longer put so much weight or value into defining who they are by their relationships,” Morse said. “Girls are not just going to college to get their ‘Mrs. Degrees’ but to learn and pursue their own careers.” Though detrimental at times, the hookup culture also has benefits. “The positive of casual relationships is it allows people to concentrate on other aspects of their lives, such as family, friends, school, sports and extracurricular activities,” Bogle said. The hookup culture is allowing girls to see who they are outside of their relationships, pursue other interests and have fun being single, explained Morse. She described it as one more essential step for women on the road to equality. “It’s necessary to continue the conversation about women and men. I totally understand why the pendulum has swung to where it is now,” Morse said. “It’s just one temporary step on the way there.” Avita Anand Sports & Wellness Editor
14% of Upper School girls think a no strings attached relationship is the most common type of relationship at Hockaday
75% of Upper School girls see the hookup culture as an advancement for women in society Source: Hockaday Upper School Student Survey GRAPHIC BY TIFFANY LE
14/15
THE FOURCAST
FEBRUARY 13, 2014
arts & enter tainment PopChart
Protecting art is just as essential as manufacturing bullets.
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The Fourcast predicts Oscar winners p16
Robert M. Edsel p17
Cruising Through the Audience PHOTO BY DEVON KNOTT
TELEVISION
SCANDALOUS
This drama, too serious to be called a soap opera, returns on Feb. 27. The action-packed spring premiere will be the 11th episode of the 18-episode third season.
MUSIC
SHEERAN’S RETURN
Grammy award-winning singer and songwriter Ed Sheeran is at it again. His first album since “+” in 2012, it’s still untitled but is rumored to have an hour of music. The album drops on Sheeran’s birthday, Feb. 17.
APPS
MOURNING THE BIRD
The frustrating yet fun crossover between Super Mario Brothers and Angry Birds, created in late 2013, was taken down on Feb. 9. The creator explained that he just couldn’t take the criticism.
BEAUTY
DOUBLE TROUBLE
Coming in 16 brightly colored lip balms and 12 stunning eye tints, Clinique’s newest product, Chubby Sticks, is amazingly easy. Both starting at $17. Sources: abc, atlanticrecords, itunes, clinque
McCullough Plans At-Home Art Studio
The bright, fiery sun shines down on nightclub
dimensions for the various parts of the boat, how singer Reno Sweeney while she stands on the much support would be needed prow of the S.S. American. Traveling across the to hold up the people standing Atlantic Ocean, she is en route from New York on the second floor and how to build the prow City to England, dressed in the finest silk gowns. of the ship. The red, white and blue ocean In early November, more crew liner, complete with staircases and members were recruited from Hockasmokestacks, offers something day and St. Marks to help build the set unique: it is cruising straight through as well as to make props and costumes the audience, bringing the actors and produce sound and lighting. The along with it. building process began in the Fine Arts The musical’s design crew, con- hallway since the stage was in use for sisting of Hockaday and St. Mark’s stu- the Upper School Dance performance. dents and led by Technical Director After Thanksgiving break, the crew beand Auditorium Manager Robert Kal- gan to move everything on stage. los, constructed the ship. The crew be“We basically had this knocked gan drawing layouts showing the ini- out in two days because we already tial structure of the boat, using books pre-built everything,” Kallos said, from the library as well as images of standing on the prow of the ship with the Titanic and the Queen Elizabeth his arms outstretched towards the alfor inspiration. most-completed structure. “Then we The design crew decided to cre- just had to put it up.” ate a two-story ship with a staircase In order to build the prow of the on either side supported by metal boat, the crew had to unscrew and reand wood railings, LED lights, smoke- move some of the chairs in the auditostacks on top, a pathway underneath rium, resulting in more than 40 seats the set for actors to move on and off lost for the audience. “That doesn’t the stage and, most importantly, the really matter because we are doing prow of the boat, which extends be- it for our audience,” Kallos said. For yond the stage and into the audience. him, the experience the audience has Junior Sydney Thomas actively while watching the musical is more participated in designing the set by important than the number of people creating layouts of the ship. “Usu- in attendance. ally we start in October, but we had Although this is the second time to start in September because we had that Hockaday has built a boat exto work with all these other factors,” tending into the audience for the proThomas said. duction of “Anything Goes,” it will be Once the designs were in place, a new experience for many students the students began to figure out the and faculty members.
U
pper School Fine Arts teacher Juliette McCullough likes to work big. McCullough already has a space in her new house where she will be able to create smaller work. However, she is adding a second at-home art studio in her garage, 22 by 22 feet, to fit her needs for larger art projects. To her, an art studio is a must-have. “I have never, in my life, not had one. I remember when I was living in student housing and I had one bedroom and one living room, but the bedroom became my studio and the living room became everything,”
she said. The first step was finding the right builder. She chose Doug Robison of Doug Robinson Designs. He has turned storage spaces into studios before. Remodeling homes and creating studios take different skills, Robinson, who does both, said. He is an Abstract Impressionist artist himself and treats studios as pieces of art. “The difference in building out a studio versus remodeling a home is you generally have a blank canvas to work with, meaning only walls to build out from, where as a home has internal structure to define areas,” he said.
ALL ABOARD Hockaday and St. Mark’s crew designed a set that goes straight into the audience for this year’s musical “Anything Goes.”
“I’ve never built a set quite like this that goes right down the middle,” Kallos said. “This boat is new for everybody here, even though historically they’ve done it—it’s new for the actors and it’s new for the audience.” Those that are sitting in the back of the auditorium will now be able to experience the musical 20 feet closer than they normally would. According to Thomas, the boat in the audience will add an “extra layer of mystique-ality” to the entire performance. Not only will the extended stage benefit the viewers, but it will give the actors and directors more space to work with. “I know some of the actors were feeling anxiety about falling off the stage or stepping on people in the crowd, but I definitely think the actors will appreciate the room they have now that the stage has been extended,” Thomas said. Senior Madison Kaminski, who is playing Reno Sweeny in the musical, believes that the set is quite impressive and unique. “You have to be a lot more conscious of your stage presence because people can see everything you do,” Kaminski said while discussing the extension of the stage. “But it’s fun because it makes you feel like there’s a huge spotlight on you.” Kallos, as well as the crew members, hoped to create a memorable 3D experience for the audience. “The reason I do theatre is because it’s about the illusion of reality and that gives you a lot of freedom,” he said.
McCullough began the process for planning her new studio after moving into the house last summer and estimates it will be completed in the spring. McCullough plans to be very hands-on with the building of her studio. She will have Robinson do the basic construction, but she will do the taping and bedding. “When I paint my pictures, I stretch the canvas flat on the wall, and it sounds very strange to anybody else, but when I am plastering the wall, I’m feeling the space, and it actually helps me when I am using that wall and when I am making the paintings. It’s as if I get to know
Inaara Padani Staff Writer the surface very intimately,” McCullough said. She hopes to work on the process over spring break. Sophomore Kate Cooper, who has been a student of McCullough’s at Hockaday for two years, believes projects like these are essential to artist’s work. “I think it is important for an artist to have a studio because it gives them a way to express their work,” Cooper said. To view the pieces McCullough is currently showcasing and selling, visit www.juliettemccullough.com. Megan Philips Staff Writer
hockadayfourcast.org
arts & entertainment
THE FOURCAST
FEBRUARY 13, 2014
The Fourcast derives its name from the four cornerstones of Hockaday: character, courtesy, scholarship and athletics. It is also a pun on the weather “forecast.”
“Teen Wolf” Actress Gets Real RODEN continued from p1 she knew what her twist would be. “Wouldn’t it be funny if the meanest girl was the smartest?” she asked herself. To portray such a character, the actress drew off of strong female characters in the media and her experiences at Hockaday, though she left the school after her sophomore year for Highland Park High School. “One of the things Hockaday taught me is no one fits into one ‘mold,’” Roden said in a personal interview with the Fourcast over holiday break. “There’s not just the athlete, the nerd and the popular girl.” Roden didn’t make up this persona on the spot. “After I went to Highland Park sophomore year, I was so baffled when girls would know the answer but not raise their hands,” Roden said to clarify the long road of Lydia’s characterization. Even though Lydia was written for a six-foot tall model, Roden, at just 5’3”, got the part. She said that the producers
thought her take on the typi- ways go back to science, but I cal mean girl was “quirky and could never really go back to weird.” The writer changed acting,” Roden said. the way the characFrom there, she ter would be written, guest starred in varitransitioning from ous shows such as shallowness to a life“Criminal Minds” and saver with her brains. “Grey’s Anatomy” beRoden began act- One of fore stumbling upon ing outside of school the opportunity to auwhen she transferred the things dition for MTV’s “Teen to Highland Park. She Hockaday Wolf,” a much-laughed missed Hockaday, but at werewolf drama. by acting with some of has taught Roden was iniher former classmates, me is no one tially uneasy audishe retained her contioning, especially nection to the school. fits into one after her friends She never considered mold. snickered at the acting as a career, name, but after readActress Holland though, until she began ing the script she studying pre-med at the Roden realized that “it was University of California at Los actually good,” she said. Angeles. “Teen Wolf, ”originally inHer first two big breaks tended as a ‘dark reimagining’ were a guest star on “Lost” and of the Michael J. Fox 1980s movie “CSI.” With her acting career of the same name, has a much on the rise, she decided to put more serious tone than its incollege on hold. spiration. Now a supernatural “I thought that I could al- hit, it has expanded upon its
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American werewolf mythology to include a more diverse cache of myths. The show’s plotlines have been subject to both praise and biting criticism over its three seasons. Even Hockaday students dissent over the story. “I originally got into it for the hot guys but stayed for the story,” senior Ginny Crow said, after attempting to watch it when the pilot aired in 2011, then retrying it several years later. Some criticize the show for its lack of feminism. “Allison and Lydia don’t need men, but Jeff [Davis, “Teen Wolf” writer and producer] always makes them have one anyways,” freshman Melanie Kerber said. Roden, however, disagreed. “Jeff [Davis] has so many brilliant ideas, getting ahead of the curve with strong female characters,” Roden said. Crystal Reed, Roden’s co-star, is just as excited as Roden about Davis’s ideas.
“He gave me a bow before Katniss made it cool!” Reed said in reference to her character’s skills in archery and strength. Roden believes that the writer never intended to make Lydia’s personality smart, but the version of Lydia that Roden portrayed in her audition influenced him. Slowly, Roden’s own unique experiences from Hockaday’s environment made their way into her character. Season 4, which premieres this summer, is “Lydia’s season” according to Roden. It returns six weeks after the June wrap up to the third season, spotlighting her supernatural powers and giving many of the answers the audience has been “dying” to hear. For Fourcast exclusive “Teen Wolf” spoilers from Roden and her costars, visit http://hockadayfourcast.org/?p=7652. Kate Clement Staff Writer
TECHNOLOGY
Students Question Snapchat’s Safety After the hacking of the application, some question its privacy
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recent hacking of private user information from the popular app Snapchat has left avid users questioning their continued use of the social media outlet. The app, which allows users to send picture messages that self-destruct after several seconds, may actually prove to offer a false pretense of security after the application leaked phone-numbers and usernames of 4.6 million of the app’s customers, according to CNN. For some Hockaday girls, this information is alienating, but it may not affect their use of the app. This security breach showed the vulnerable nature of the application, as hackers were able to take important information from a multitude of users and sell it to advertising companies, according to NBC. The question that remains is whether or not the application is worth the safety and privacy risk. For senior Augusta Aston, her use of Snapchat has eclipsed her use of text mes-
CARTOON
saging. “It’s really easy to use and much faster than texting,” she said. “I use it much more than texting because it says a lot more with less effort.” Another bonus of snapchat is that a single snapchat can be sent to one person or many people at once, and that a user doesn’t have to save the photos they take. Aston is not alone in her love for Snapchat: statistics suggest that instant-picture messaging is the future of person-to-person virtual communication. TIME magazine reported that the average cell-phone user sends 628 text messages a month, which is 8 percent down from last year’s 708 per month. But Snapchat has had a 600 percent increase in use of over the same period of time: its around 30 million monthly active users send around 400 million photos and videos a day. Because of Snapchat’s widespread success, many believe the app will not suffer for its hacking scandal. “Once something is popular with our generation, ev-
eryone uses is it,” sophomore Sloane Castleman said. “I don’t really see people quitting just because of this incident.” Director of Technology and Information Resources Jason Curtis acknowledged the application’s recent faults but still believes it to be just as safe as any other internet application used for social media. For him, the only area of questionable safety is in the individual’s use. “A car is neither safe nor unsafe while sitting on the lot. The safety of a vehicle is determined by drivers not by the vehicle itself, and I believe the same is true of most social media platforms,” Curtis said. “Safety is determined by the users’ choices, not by the medium that they use to exercise those choices.”
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GRAPHIC BY CLAIRE FLETCHER AND MANISHA RATAKONDA
arts & entertainment
THE FOURCAST
FEBRUARY 13, 2014
Welcome to the 86th Annual Academy Awards With the Oscars in less than a month (March 2), here’s everything to expect on cinema’s biggest night
Best Actor in a Leading Role
Best Actor in a Supporting Role
Predicted : Matthew McConaughey, “Dallas Buyers Club” My Picks: Christian Bale, “American Hustle” or Matthew McConaughey, “Dallas Buyers Club”
Predicted: Jared Leto, “Dallas Buyers Club” My Pick: Jared Leto, “Dallas Buyers Club”
I’m still in the phase where I feel shocked when Christian Bale doesn’t mutter in his strangely impossibleto-imitate Batman voice, and perhaps I can attribute that as the reason for why I love him in “American Hustle.” Whether it’s that terrible hairpiece or the additional 20 pounds added onto his midsection, he sold his character, Irving Rosenfeld, a scam artist in deep with the FBI, in a way that could probably be called hustling. It’s a cheap and trite type of protagonist considering it’s the same tough New York guy out to make it on his own and beat the system in that same tough
New York guy kind of way, yet I still had so much fun watching him in this film. I certainly bought it. On the other hand, I want to give Matthew McConaughey huge props for stepping outside of his romanticcomedy comfort zone and into the character of Ron Woodroof, a cowboy cursed with AIDs. It’s always nice to see an actor come across that one movie that will end up changing his career forever, and McConaughey, an actor who I once believed to have little potential for growth, has certainly found his defining moment in “Dallas Buyers Club.”
Best Actress in a Leading Role
Do I even really need to say it? Jared Leto hands down. In his role of Rayon in “Dallas Buyers Club,” he gave audiences the best performance of the year, and his method acting makes his work all the more worthy of acclaim and recognition. How many other people could have portrayed an emaciated transgender woman with such ease and believability? Before this, I knew Leto only as that punk rocker with the beautiful, slightly wavy shoulder length hair, and now I know how much acting tal-
Best Actress in a Supporting Role Predicted: Lupita Nyong’o, “12 Years a Slave” My Pick: Jennifer Lawrence, “American Hustle”
Predicted: Cate Blanchett, “Blue Jasmine” My Pick: Amy Adams, “American Hustle”
First of all, Amy Adams just deserves an award simply because she looked absolutely fabulous in all of those plunging velvet and sequin jumpsuits. But her character’s neurotic British and American accents, con artist cunning and absolute devotion to one man also left so much to be enjoyed throughout “American Hustle.” In my opinion, the film probably carried on for 20 minutes too long with an unoriginal, slow-paced plotline--both reasons why I don’t consider it the best picture of the year. However, I’ve long believed that Adams remains this generation’s best actress, a Meryl Streep with red hair and fewer awards. With her performances in both “American Hustle” and “Her” this
ent rests under those locks and hauntingly gray eyes just waiting to be tapped! I thought we lost him to the music industry a few years back (anyone remember the band Thirty Seconds to Mars? Yeah, he’s the lead singer). But it seems he has made quite the comeback. We should hurry and shower him with awards and nominations in case he leaves us again, and we’ll be forced to see his name on the iTunes charts, rather than on a movie poster for one of the best pictures of the year.
ented ensemble of the year (if you disregard “Lee Daniel’s the Butler”). She clearly has talent and she did very well with the part, having learned from the best at Yale Drama School. But Lawrence, on the other hand, absolutely overshadowed acting veterans Jeremy Renner and Bradley Cooper in “American Hustle” and singlehandedly placed this dramatic film in the genre of comedy. Bestowed with an absolutely ridiculous character, J-Law executed the role with zest, jazz and hustle-all the while working a variety of groovy up-dos. I certainly consider this the first and last time desperation and whininess in a character doesn’t annoy me. I wanted her to be in all of the scenes, but the fact that Lawrence only had a supporting role made her appearances in the film all the more appreciated.
year alone, I have no doubt we’ll be seeing more of her in the future. She’s had quite the track record already with five Academy Award nominations, so if Adams doesn’t win, I won’t be too discouraged. Like her determined character Sydney Prosser, I know she’ll end up pulling it off someday. Now, I must address “Blue Jasmine,” as Cate Blanchett seems to be a shoein after a SAG and Golden Globe win. Call me crazy, but “Blue Jasmine” did nothing for me, and neither did Blanchett’s character. The movie, had it not been written by Woody Allen, would never have attracted such an eclectic star-studded cast or gained the amount of attention it so wrongly garnered this awards season. No one seemed to truly fit into their roles, and it all appeared so oddly casted, with the exception of Sally Hawkins, who as Blanchett’s sister, added a believable bohemian feel to the character. To be completely honest, the whole pillpopping New York socialite on her fall from grace became old when Lohan returned to jail for the 20th time. But do you know what I never get sick of? Hustling.
I have nothing else to say on this prediction except that I felt ill during the entire duration of “Gravity,” sick enough to only eat half of my meal at Studio Movie Grill. Granted, I accidently bought tickets to the 3D showing and did not have the proper eyewear to view the special effects, but I truly believe the jostling in my stomach directly correlated with Cuaron’s directorial genius in this film.
Unfortunately, I will say that this probably hurt the movie in its chances for more victories. I left without any desire to see it again. While movies in the past have proved hard to watch, this one addressed questions of human existence and insignificance, which most of us do not want to tackle, especially in a theater where the primary objective usually surrounds escapism and entertainment.
nolia showed me what I almost missed. And before you accuse of me picking the dark horse candidate just to keep these predictions interesting, you need to know why I consider it by far the best movie of the year. I’d like to start off with Scarlett Johansson, whose name I’m sure attracted most of the movie-goers in the first place. I initially noticed her talent in “Vicky Christina Barcelona” (another great flick about unconventional love), but her performance in this film, though you do not see her on screen once, may be her best to date. Her ability to make you feel happy, sad and irritated without one look at her face truly speaks to the inflection, personality and absolute sex appeal that make her tone of voice so delicious and so captivating. If I had the opportunity to fall in
love with Scar-Jo’s voice, I absolutely would. I walked in with the fear that this movie might veer too close to the genre of science fiction, yet the film seems entirely realistic in its futurism. Shot in particular parts of Los Angeles and Shanghai, the buildings simply look contemporary. It’s easy to digest, easy to believe and easy to love. I must also say that the costume designers, which the Academy failed to recognize, predicted trends that will be popular 10 years from now. I wouldn’t be surprised to see people walking down the street in the gray high-waisted wool pants that Joaquin Phoenix wears in pretty much every scene of the film--they’ll be the ultimate hipster look of 2025. Speaking of Phoenix, I would like to say that, as he has in every other movie he appears
in, he simply kills it. He possesses the power to make any film seem more significant and thought-provoking just by staring off into the distance in a concentrated gaze, which coincidentally the producers chose as the poster for this movie. While I found the film similar to crowd favorite “500 Days of Summer” in terms of its quirky quips and ridiculous amount of scenes where people bask in artsy sunlight, I’d like to stress that I have never seen a movie like this before. Through its sweet and often uncomfortably honest screenplay for which director Spike Jonze should win an Oscar, you will leave the theater no longer feeling that it’s weird to fall in love with an operating system and realize that all we’re really looking for in life is companionship and someone to talk to us, listen to us and understand us.
Don’t get me wrong. I do very much like Nyong’o, whose acceptance speech at the SAG awards I consider to be one of the best I’ve heard in years. She’s beautiful, eloquent and powerful, but in my opinion, she had so much to work with in “12 Years a Slave,” blessed with a brutal story and the most tal-
Best Director Predicted: Alfonso Cuaron, “Gravity” My Pick: Alfonso Cuaron, “Gravity”
16/17
Other Awards Best Cinematography: Predicted: “Gravity” My Pick: “Gravity” Best Costume Design: Predicted: “American Hustle” My Pick: “American Hustle” Best Makeup & Hair: Predicted: “Dallas Buyers Club” My Pick: “Dallas Buyers Club” Best Music-Original Score: Predicted: “Gravity” My Pick: “Her” Best Production Design: Predicted: “The Great Gatsby” My Pick: “Her”
My Thoughts Same old song and dance After reading a few Oscar blogs concerning the predictable nature of the nominations, it seems to me that every year we find the same type of movies in the Best Picture category: the historical biopic (“12 Years a Slave,” “Lincoln”), the visual stunner (“Gravity,” “Life of Pi”), the indie dark horse (“Her,” “Beasts of the Southern Wild”) and the stylish ode to retro America (“American Hustle,” “Argo”). They certainly follow formats that historically have worked, but in the future, the Academy should try to somehow support those who don’t fit in these often banal molds.
Close, but no cigar for Leo If Leonardo DiCaprio did not absolutely keep me marveling at the ease in which he played this role, I would have certainly walked out of the three-hour exhausting story of “The Wolf on Wall Street.” Not surprisingly, Martin Scorsese seemed to have picked this story straight out of the woodwork just to finally give his old friend a chance at a much-deserved Oscar, but the role of Jordan Belfort reminded me very much of Jay Gatsby, and in that way, I don’t consider it a stretch for Leo’s acting abilities. It featured the same fast-talking speech about wealth, women and wayward fantasies of glory and fame, but an actor with this level of talent doesn’t need a film of such high shock value to get him the attention he deserves. His time will certainly come, but I hope that “The Wolf on Wall Street”’s never does.
Best Picture
ILLUSTRATIONS BY KATE COOPER
Predicted: “12 Years A Slave” My Pick: “Her”
If you saw the trailer for “Her” and thought it sounded super strange, you’re not alone. I remained skeptical until a Saturday afternoon at the Mag-
And if that comfort comes in the shape of a small, white earpiece, then so be it. But for the record, I call dibs on Johansson to voice my operating system. Despite “Her”’s absolute masterful fusion of sweet romance and dramatic depth, it remains hard to deny a historical biopic with a cast that includes no-name actors with great promise, Lupita Nyong’o being one of them, who generate so much additional buzz for the film. Everyone loves an underdog, especially actors who have never been recognized before, and the power of “12 Years a Slave”’s subject matter, and the vulnerability with which this film displays it, will probably prove to be enough to take home a win next month. Katie Payne Managing Editor
arts & entertainment
hockadayfourcast.org
THE FOURCAST
FEBRUARY 13, 2014
REVIEWS A True Temptation
Raiders of Art PHOTO COURTESY OF VANITY FAIR
PHOTO BY ALAINA RODRIGUEZ
“The Monuments Men”
I True Food Kitchen 8383 Preston Center, Plaza Drive
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rue Food Kitchen is worth the wait. This gorgeous restaurant is similar to Snappy Salads, but on steroids. Andrew Weil, MD, a writer on holistic diet, is the inspiration for this gorgeous establishment conveniently located in the Plaza at Preston Center. A relatively new restaurant that opened its doors just before Thanksgiving, it is the latest outpost of Sam Fox’s culinary empire. True Food Kitchen serves a large variety of dishes—from veggie crudités to buffalo burgers. The building boasts a beautiful, airy, eco-friendly environment. As part of their commitment to being environmentallyfriendly, almost everything is earth empathetic, from the dining chairs made of recycled soda bottles, to the pristine wood floors reclaimed from demolished buildings. The inside’s decor plays on differing styles, incorporating wood and metal. And for those who prefer to dine al-fresco, the seamlessly-decorated patio proves to
be a quiet oasis. True Food Kitchen offers all: catering, take out, breakfast, brunch, lunch, dinner and a myriad of drinks from natural juice blends to fair trade coffee. The place is small, and although the tables are extremely close together, causing some patrons to inadvertently bump elbows with their neighbors, it maintains a cozy and relaxed atmosphere. On a recent brunch visit, the servers were kind, articulate and helpful in navigating the menu. For appetizers, I tried the veggie crudité: a colorful assortment of locally grown vegetables, including carrots, cucumbers, radishes and tomatoes. It was beyond amazing. And the best part is that the six variety of cherry tomatoes included in this dish were all grown within 100 miles of the Dallas metroplex. This delectable appetizer is served with two delicious sauces, tzatziki and black olive, which prove to be perfect for dipping vegetables. The dining experience got better with every bite. The bison burger, placed in between a crispy bun, mushrooms, umami, watercress and parmesan cheese, is both masterfully-crafted and mouthwatering. The moist meat accompanied by a creamy spread and crispy bread could cause
WORTH THE WAIT True Food Kitchen takes delicious to a whole new level with savory magarita pizza, burgers, sandwhiches and more, all organic.
While Wolitzer’s writing style is bulky and omniscient with her advanced vocabulary and strong narrative voice, she masters a detailed perspective. Because her writing style was highly narrative, it made everything seem so insignificant. The story encompassed so many characters; it made me think about my life. Maybe my life is just a small section in a very large book. I think that’s the reason I liked the book so much: it made me feel small in a good way, like the universe will move on, even if I don’t want it too because everyone else has pages to fill. I wouldn’t necessarily describe the end of the book as sad. I was satisfied with the ending, and I think Wolitzer did a fantastic job of wrapping up story-lines. This book left off on a deeper message. I guess you could say it was interesting.
n Hollywood, World War II movies keep coming. Not all of them are bad, not all of them are good. Yet, there’s that chance you have to take where they all end the same. However, George Clooney’s “The Monuments Men” shows us a different ending behind history’s faded pages, detailing the work of a relatively obscure division of the Allied forces tasked with the protection and recovery of Europe’s art and monuments. I will be the first to admit that not all historical movies are exciting or accurate. And no film can be both. For the film’s leads, curators, played by Matt Damon and George Clooney, the search for Europe’s looted art seems too easy. The hardest thing Damon’s character did was flirt with Cate Blanchett and lift himself up using only his biceps, odd for the head of the Cloisters at the Met in New York City. Luckily, the movie’s heart makes up for its bland characters. At a screening for the movie on Jan. 19, the movie’s screenwriter Robert M. Edsel, a ‘75 St. Mark’s alumnus and the author of the book the film is based on, told me his version of movie’s message: “I believe that protecting art is just as essential as manufacturing bullets.” Granted, you can’t make a World War II movie without guns. The overall set design makes up for the cliche, bringing heartbreaking reality to an otherwise “artsy” movie. Never do I find movie battlegrounds worth tears. However, the true history behind “The Monuments Men” did move me. I realized the different shots in the movie (the halls of the Louvre devoid of paintings, only with the frames left lopsidedly hanging, underground caches of life, art packed away, never to see the light of day and, most of all, flames devouring a whole culture, melting oil paint, obliterating marble), were not some dramatic Hollywood “tragedy.” It had actually happened. “The Monuments Men” leaves an ache in movie-goers for things that we never can get back. And that’s where you find the real character of the movie that has been in the background since the opening scene. Art is just as much of a star in “The Monuments Men” as Matt Damon or George Clooney. The picture gets across a point that Hockaday’s History of Art and Music class has been drilling into us for years: art is not just something pretty to hang on the wall. It’s not something that can be replaced. It’s our culture. It’s the world’s life preserved by brush. It’s humanity. And it’s something people are willing to die for.
Noor Adatia Staff Writer
Kate Clement Staff Writer
a vegetarian to abandon their beliefs. The inside-out quinoa burger was an interesting spin on the American classic. The “patty” is actually the bun, a mixture with a texture somewhere in-between meat and bread. The inside consists of tomato, onion, cucumber, feta and avocado, with a shmear of hummus and tzatziki. This “burger” was delightfully light. The margarita pizza was splendid. The cracker-thin crust added a lovely crunch while the smooth mozzarella mixed with the chunky tomato sauce created a symphony of soft texture. And to finish the bite, the basil provided a palatable sharpness. At the end of the meal I felt refreshed and healthy-even after eating a burger. No matter what you order, your mouth will be happy in the process. Vivian Armitage Staff Writer Open for breakfast, lunch and dinner Monday — Thursday 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Friday 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Saturday 10 a.m.-10 p.m. Sunday 10 a.m.-9 p.m. $$ Moderately Priced To-go orders recommended
An Interesting Read “The Interestings” Meg Wolitzer
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t the beginning of “The Interestings,” I honestly was not sure what to think. It seemed like another classic novel of friendship, which in some ways, it was. However, I was not disappointed: the book is more than just a friendship novel. It’s ... interesting. This story follows a group of friends journeying from adolescence to middle-age. It starts with Jules Jacobson, a shy, awkward 16-year-old girl who recently lost her father. Over the summer of 1979, she finds a group of friends, whom she calls “The Interestings” in Spirit-in-the-Woods, an art camp that helps kids to discover their creativity, developing a close bond with them. Beautiful and powerful, this book captures the lives of these adolescents, later becoming adults and parents in hectic
New York City. Jules maintains a close friendship with Ash Wolfe, a caring girl from an esteemed, wealthy family, whose brother, Goodman Wolfe, endures many challenges throughout his adolescence. Although Jules does not have a very close friendship with Goodman, she befriends Ethan Figman, who later makes his own animation show, “Figland.” and Jonah Bay, a gentle soul with a talent for playing the guitar. Also at the camp is Cathy Kiplienger, who becomes in a way the group’s “victim.” From Julie Jacobson, daughter of a lost father, living an ordinary life, she becomes Jules Jacobson, part of a group of friends who go about very interesting lives and care for her. Wolitzer critiques the American value of a self-made man and challenges various American concepts, including marriage and friendship. Although not engaging at the start, the book drew me in later on as the personal lives of
the characters were introduced. The book explores dark themes like selfishness and the meaning and cost of relationships. It raises the question of what determines success in life and raises sensitive emotions, such as those of jealousy and envy. In Jules’s situation, when she ponders over her relationship with her wealthy friends, she looks up the difference of jealousy and envy: “Jealousy was essentially ‘I want what you have’ while envy was ‘I want what you have, but I also want to take it away so you can’t have it.’” Wolitzer effectively tackles these important messages in her book through an interesting plot, adding much depth. Wolitzer posed ethical questions about the characters, especially that of Goodman Wolfe. I had to make decisions about the moral conduct of characters, which made the book engaging. The story is about normal teenagers in a big city. Just like me. The more relatable the book became, the more I enjoyed it.
18/19
THE FOURCAST
FEBRUARY 13, 2014
sports & wellness FourScore
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The flu season returns in full force and threatens the health of many students p19
Director of Health Services Erika Herridge p20
Tina Slinker Shares a Message
PHOTO PROVIDED BY TINA SLINKER
7
I don’t think they realize how [sleep] affects every other part of your body.
Number of seniors returning to play on the Varsity Lacrosse team
9
Number of athletic trainers who assisted Head Athletic Trainer Jeanne Olsen during the winter season
257
Number of miles that the Varsity Basketball team traveled to play Holland Hall High School in Tulsa, Okla. on Jan. 25
26.7
Sophomore Rachel Becker’s time in seconds in the 50-meter freestyle at the end of the 2013-2014 varsity swimming and diving season
Juniors Switch to Online Health
Loss and leadership have been two major aspects of Director of Athletics Tina Slinker’s life. Through motivational speaking and writing, Slinker has used these two pivotal aspects of her life to inspire and help others outside Hockaday’s althetic buildings. Slinker spoke on Feb. 1 at That a Girl and Friends Speakers Agency’s Wonder Woman conference series, which brings together a wide range of speakers to share their experiences to a variety of audiences from small groups to fortune 500 companies. The Wonder Woman series is mainly focused on sharing the power of the individual woman and the importance of faith and maintaining a relationship with God. During the series, Slinker recounted her experiences from the loss of her mother and father in order to help others. “We all need to go through hard times because it is how you respond that matters,” she said. While speaking during the conference, which was held at the Gospel For Asia headquarters in Carrollton and was simulcast for free online to a larger audience of all ages, Slinker emphasized three central points: not being afraid to feel, developing a passion and not allowing the world around us determine our worth. To open her talk, Slinker engaged with the audience using a se-
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or the first time ever, students at Hockaday began taking the junior health class online this semester. Physical education teacher Melinda Nuñez currently teaches this program. The idea of an online program was proposed about a year ago by Cathy Murphree, who is the Assistant Head of Upper School for Student Affairs. “Offering the course online will help girls prepare for possible future online courses,” Nuñez said. The course is being taught through the Haiku Learning System platform. Its user-friendly navigation and familiarity for
ries of questions— questions that highlighted the similarities between people and pushed the audience to evaluate different aspects of their lives she said. “When life is hard and things seem unfair, what is it that gets you up in the morning?” she asked her audience. Throughout her speech Slinker also wove in experiences from her current position as the Hockaday Varsity Basketball coach by using references to athletics, underscoring the importance of focusing on living in the moment. “If we win the game, if I make varsity, if I score the winning goal— well what if you don’t. What we really have in our control is the day to day—effort, interaction, and building of friendships and ourselves,” Slinker said. Slinker looked back on her past speaking and life experiences to prepare for her speech. Slinker first started speaking as a college basketball coach at the University of North Texas from 1989-2008 and has continued over the years. In 2009 Slinker wrote a book regarding the loss of her mother titled “For the Love of Mom: For Everyone Who Suffers Loss.” She wrote about her experiences learning to manage loss and finding ways “to make my
students help the online health classes run smoothly. After the completion of each unit, students respond to a prompt question and will comment on other students’ responses, which are then graded. “It’s neat because students who normally don’t participate in discussions in the classroom are able to online,” Nuñez said. At first, Nuñez worried that students would sign up for the course for the wrong reasons, like thinking it would be an easier class and not taking their studies seriously, leading to incomplete assignments. “As part of the nature of Hockaday girls, students’ in-
COACHING OFF THE FIELD Director of Athletics Tina Slinker spoke about her book to an audience at Borders Bookstore on Oct. 9, 2010.
life a ‘better different or a different better,’ a new way to celebrate and take my mom with me going forward,” Slinker said. During the time that Slinker lost her mother and her father, she also lost her job and her house. She even badly injured her leg. Nearly five years after the release of her book, on Dec. 6, Slinker also spoke at the Winspear Opera House in downtown Dallas for the TEDxTurtleCreekWomen event. TEDx is a program owned by the private non-profit Sapling Foundation whose goal is to share ideas and stimulate conversation. The main points she underscored in her presentation were similar to the points she made during her Feb. 1 talk. She highlighted the importance of the willingness to be vulnerable. According to Slinker, one of the most difficult parts of speaking at TEDx was the 12-minute time slot and the fact that the talk was live. “It is the speech of a lifetime because it is live,” she said. “I wanted to leave people with a couple of things and with a message that touched their hearts.” Slinker hopes to continue speaking in the future. “TEDx was like a dream for me and all you can do is put out your dream and do what you can to make it happen and then when it does to enjoy it,” Slinker said.
put in the discussions has been very thorough,” Nuñez said. “They are obviously taking the class seriously.” Junior Luda Grigoryeva, who is currently enrolled in the online class, enjoys the flexibility and schedule. Now, her P.E. credit is taken care of as she is a year-round athlete. “I like that we can manage our own work and we can choose when we need to do it,” Grigoryeva said. Some teachers, however, prefer teaching the course the old-fashioned way: in a classroom setting. Rebekah Calhoun, Form IV Dean and Upper School Health
Alaina Rodriguez Photography Editor
teacher, enjoys the sense of community that can be found in the classroom environment and not in a virtual program. “Can you still have that relationship, that bond, that sense of community online?” Calhoun asked. As far as content and material, both Nuñez and Calhoun’s classes should be the same. “Our goal was for it to be an equivalent experience,” Nuñez said. “We have different types of learners, so it is important we offer the classroom and online experience.”
Noor Adatia Staff Writer
hockadayfourcast.org
sports&wellness
THE FOURCAST
FERBUARY 13, 2014
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TION STRA ILLU R DA G
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Pills and Produce Poison Pets
IGOR
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adie was only trying to find some extra food to munch on. But instead of finding yummy treats, she wandered into junior Molly Nelson’s mother’s bathroom and found a bar of Dove soap. Soon after, Sadie’s stomach got upset. After finding a half-gnawed bar of soap in the backyard, Nelson’s family knew their dog had been poisoned. There are many products, human foods and plants that can cause pets to have digestive problems, kidney failure, liver failure and even death. Each year, the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals handles around 180,000 cases. On average, they get 750 phone calls each day regarding questions about poisoned pets. According to the ASPCA website, onions, garlic, avocado, chocolate, coffee and salt are harmful human foods for pets. World Languages Chair Lisa Camp’s dog, Pearl, was poisoned when he ate peanut butter. “She went down very quickly in a matter of one day,” Camp said. “We spent a fortune at the emergency animal hospital keeping her alive
through the night.” Although most dogs can tolerate peanut butter, it can sometimes be too fatty for dogs to digest. Chocolate is a food most owners know is dangerous for their pets. Certified Veterinary Technician Jessica Driscoll works at Pet Poison Helpline. Regarding which toxin she encounters the most, she said, “although several foods can cause serious poisonings, we see a high volume of cases involving dogs ingesting chocolate.” One such case happened to junior Staci Shelby’s aunt’s dog. She was poisoned a couple of months ago after eating three chocolate bars out of a pantry. “Besides throwing up on the carpet and my aunt having to clean it up, my aunt had to pay $150 to get the dog’s stomach pumped,” Shelby said. But foods aren’t the only thing that can poison pets. Chrysanthemums, tulips, lilies and azaleas are among some of the plants that are poisonous to pets. When treating a sick pet it is important to know that human drugs such as ibuprofen are poisonous even in a minimal dose. Ibuprofen is the most
common human drug to poison dogs. Signs include swollen mouth, vomiting and lack of eating. Cats are especially attracted to the ADHD drug Adderall, according to ScienceNews. Cleaning supplies can also cause problems for pets if consumed, like Nelson’s soap-ingesting dog. The ASPA and Pet Poison Helpline recommend keeping cleaning supplies in cabinets or in separate rooms that pets cannot access. In all, it is better to avoid feeding pets any human food. Dog owner and Upper School Spanish teacher Susan Bondy, who owns a Coton de Tuléar, advises that even giving pets small scraps of food can be dangerous. “Our breed of dog is very susceptible to pancreatitis and by feeding her too many table scraps, we overloaded her system with too much fat and made her extremely sick,” she
HEALTH
Flu Outbreak Hits Hockaday The flu virus affects students as it spreads throughout the Hockaday community
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ophomore Berkley Wood never gets flu shots, and this year was no exception. But in January, she fell sick and missed three days of school: she had the flu. “I felt fine on Thursday, but they [the doctors] told me I was contagious until Friday, so I couldn’t come back,” she said. The flu remains a lurking virus each winter. While cold weather is not the cause of this illness, it is easily spread in the colder months as large groups of people huddle together indoors. According to KidsHealth, the flu can be spread through contact with contaminated objects, followed by touching of the mouth, nose or eyes. Most doctors recommend getting a flu shot by October as it takes two weeks to build up the antibodies against the virus, and flu season runs from October to May. While the shot only protects against certain strains of the flu, there are not many downsides to getting a flu shot, said Dr. Karen Halsell, a pediatrician with Pediatricians of Dallas. “Getting the vaccine primes your immune system to recognize the flu virus faster and go into action faster if you do get infected,” she said. Annually, around 20 percent of Americans catch the flu, and thousands of Americans die from the flu. The flu mutates slightly each year, but every 10 years or so, the flu changes significantly, often resulting in an epidemic or pandemic. The most recent example was the 2009-2010 H1N1 Influenza A, also known as swine flu. Sophomore Rajya Atluri suffered from fatigue, chills, body ache and a sore throat in January despite having gotten a flu shot. She was sick for
about four days. “My parents are doctors so as soon as I started feeling sick,” she said, “they were worried that it might be the flu, since it was going around, so I took Tamiflu.” According to the United States Flu Website, the symptoms of the flu are similar to symptoms of a common cold, but usually more severe. While a runny nose or congestion is usually a sign of a common cold they can occur in flu patients as well. Director of Health Services Erika Herridge R.N. explained that there are numerous struggles with diagnosing and treating the flu. “The biggest challenge is the various symptoms that can be anything from a simple virus, to a cold, to allergies,” she said, “so it’s really hard to differentiate between [them].” The number of patients visiting Texas doctors for flu symptoms have gone up this year in comparison to the past few years. “The more the news media talks about the scary flu, the busier we [doctors] get,” Halsell said. “We have been extremely busy with flu patients since a couple of weeks before Christmas.” The best ways to avoid getting the flu are washing your hands, getting a flu vaccine and not touching your eyes, mouth or nose. If you do get the flu, early treatment can shut the virus down quickly and staying at home until the doctor clears you as no longer contagious can prevent the spread of the illness.
Austria Arnold Staff Writer
YEVA
A look at the unexpected multitude of foods which can poison our pets
said. It is important to remember that because of their size, pets are unable to consume and process the same amounts of foods and liquids as humans can. There is no concrete way to tell if your pet has been poisoned and “signs/symptoms will vary depending both on which toxin the pet was exposed to and on the amount of the toxin,” Driscoll said. However, she advised that it is better to be safe than sorry and to contact a veterinarian or pet poison control center immediately if a pet is acting unusual. If at all possible, it is important to bring a sample of
what the pet consumed because the faster the veterinarian knows what happened, the faster they can determine and execute the necessary steps for the pet’s care. Driscoll recommended “pet-proofing” the house and said, “When it comes to caring for your pet, prevention is the best medicine.” Poison Control Number: (888)-426-4435 Charlsea Lamb Staff Writer
sports&wellness
THE FOURCAST
20/21
BE YT AG
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FEBRUARY 13, 2014
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Students Succumb to Sleep Aids
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est—mostly it’s 12:30 though,” Danklef said, “I have to stay up to finish homework, but once I’m done, I take Melatonin and fall right asleep.” (At this point in the interview, a group of three juniors walked by and overheard us talking about Melatonin. In complete agreement, they added “We love Melatonin!”) Danklef finished her thought, “In the morning, I feel so refreshed! Even if I got three hours of sleep, I still feel like I got a full 12 hours.” Although Hockaday juniors may be stressed-out and sleepdeprived, there is not a drastic difference between the number of junior users compared to the Upper School in general. A January survey revealed that five percent of juniors take Melatonin every night, which is commensurate to the four percent of Upper Schoolers who take it every night. The infirmary does see a lot of juniors, but Herridge admits she isn’t surprised that there isn’t a huge difference between grades. “Juniors don’t want to go to bed,” Herridge said, “They want to stay up and study. They might take it after they’ve been up for several days.” The similar percentages may also be due to some of the side effects various juniors have been experiencing with Melatonin. “When I wake up in the morning after taking Melatonin, I’m really tired and cranky,” junior Morgan Allen said. They still take the sleeping drug to fall asleep quicker.
“I’ve always had trouble falling asleep,” said Lauren Kim, who feels groggy the morning after taking Melatonin. “So when I don’t take it, it takes longer. Melatonin just makes it quicker.” According to the National Library of Medicine’s website, it can cause some side effects including headache, short-term feelings of depression, daytime sleepiness, dizziness and stomach cramps. But is there harm in using synthesized Melatonin? Allen doesn’t think so. “I don’t see any harm in taking Melatonin,” she said. “I was told it was very natural so I hope there isn’t any harm!” Herridge confirmed Allen’s beliefs. “Melatonin is safe,” Herridge said, “It can make you a little drowsy, so I wouldn’t recommend going out and driving after taking it. And you’re not going to become addicted like other sleep aids.” The National Sleep Foundation advises against taking Melatonin at the wrong time of day, since it can lead to a reset in one’s biological clock, causing the user to take the hormone even more often. Another concern exists
that is not as widely recognized by users. According to the NSF’s website, because Melatonin is categorized as a hormone rather than a drug, the FDA is not allowed to regulate it. “Taking a typical dose (1 to 3 mg) may elevate your blood melatonin levels to 1 to 20 times normal. Side effects do not have to be listed on the product’s packaging,” the NSF said. Dr. Leon Rosenthal, who specializes in Sleep Disorders Medicine in Dallas, still believes some people can benefit from it. “The best candidates are likely blind people on whom the product might help regulate their circadian rhythm,” he said. “Also, people with a condition called Delayed Sleep Phase Disorder would likely benefit the most from Melatonin. It would also be considered a proper intervention for jetlag.” Overall, the NSF recommends that one should find a sleep professional or consult a physician before taking Melatonin to understand the cause of the sleep problem and treat it appropriately. However, until another alternative has been proven to be as effective as Melatonin, Danklef said that weird dreams are a small price to pay for the enormous amount of sleep she makes up using the hormone.
Lolo Jones USA Sources: ESPN, NBC Olympics
ince she began taking Melatonin, junior Madalene Danklef has kept a journal to remember all of her dreams. The most recent one? A dream in which everybody’s head and feet switched positions. “Whenever I take Melatonin, I have super vivid crazy dreams,” Danklef explained. “Usually they’re really lifelike—different dreams than what I’d dream without taking Melatonin.” Such side effects might lead you to think that Melatonin invokes hallucinations. However, it doesn’t. Melatonin is a hormone that is naturally produced in the brain, peaking during nighttime hours. The hormone creates changes in the body— such as a decrease in body temperature and respiration rate— which induce sleep. According to Erika Herridge, the Director of Health Services at Hockaday, the hormone is helpful for those (especially teenagers) who have gotten out of their sleeping cycle. She explained how lack of sleep can never be replaced. “I don’t think [the girls] realize how it affects every other part of your body,” Herridge said. “Without sleep, your brain stops functioning, and at a certain point you stop retaining information.” Danklef, who began taking Melatonin in October of junior year, attested to the benefits of the sleep supplement. “My sleep pattern over this year has evolved that I can’t go to sleep until 11 at the earli-
PH OT O
Melatonin help students sleep at night after a stressful day at school
Athletes to Watch for in the Winter Olympics
USA Track and Field’s mostfollowed athlete on Twitter used a fourth-place finish in the 2012 Olympic games as a push to enter a new sport: bobsled. Now, less than two years after Jones’ second disappointing trip to the Summer Olympic Games, Jones will compete in the Winter Olympics with the USA Bobsled Team. She and her track and field and bobsled teammate Lauryn Williams will become the ninth and 10th US athletes to compete in both the Summer and Winter Games.
Meryl Davis USA
Elie Macadams Staff Writer
Winter Captains Set Goals Senior sports captains set expectations for their teams at the winter Southern Prepatory Conference this weekend Davis, along with her partner Charlie White, became the first American ice dancers to win a World Figure Skating Championship by earning gold in 2011. In doing so, they put the sport of Ice Dancing on the map for Americans. Analysts, according to Reuters, suggest that they are the U.S.’s only realistic hope of a figure skating gold medal in Sochi. And don’t forget to look out for the North American rivalry with the pair’s Canadian training mates Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir.
Tora Berger Norway
PHOTOS BY EMILY YEH AND ALAINA RODRIGUEZ
Soccer Captain Evie Peña
Basketball Captain Shelby Anderson
Swimming Captain Hannah Matheson
I am very excited about SPC this year. We have a very unique team. There are a lot of new girls who bring a lot of strength to the team and also a lot of personality! I hope we can come out to SPC and be ready to defend our title as SPC champions! I think we all want to be back-toback champs this year!
At the tournament, I am looking forward to encountering teams that we played last year as well as teams we lost to in the regular season because I know that if we have the opportunity to face them again, we can win. Throughout the season, I have been amazed by how hard everyone plays, whether we’re down by 10 or winning by 20, and how each member significantly contributes to the team. I think this is what we will bring to the SPC tournament—our hustle and ability to utilize everyone’s talents.
Hockaday Varsity Swimming and Diving is ready to have an exciting year! We’re all looking forward to SPC—we have a bunch of new talented swimmers, and travel meets are always more challenging but a lot of fun. The team is going to put in a lot of hard work in the next few weeks! Compiled by Anisha Anand Business Manager
In Vancouver 2010, Berger became Norway’s first Olympic Women’s Biathlon champion when she won the 15-kilometer individual event. It was Norway’s 100th Olympic Winter Games gold medal—they were the first country to achieve this milestone. After winning the 2013 World Cup grand slam and finishing on every podium at the 2013 International Biathlon Union World Championships, she is a favorite for the women’s biathlon events at Sochi. Emily Wechsler Copy Editor
hockadayfourcast.org
THE FOURCAST
FEBRUARY 13, 2014
per spec tives StudentView
30 % A Love Letter
21%
Bouquet of Roses
20%
Box of Chocolates
“
STAFFSTANCE Let’s Remember the Forgotten Cornerstone
H
ockaday’s four cornerstones—Character, Courtesy, Scholarship and Athletics—are supposed to be the defining principles of our school. But lately, it seems that we have forgotten the meaning of Courtesy. Take the annual senior Halloween hallway decorations. Though the seniors had spent hours planning and decorating the hallways, they received critique from underclassmen through social media, particularly Twitter. The tweets that followed not only were incredibly disrespectful to the seniors, who had sacrificed precious time the night before many early decision deadlines, but blatantly rude to the efforts of other adults, senior sponsors and parents who had volunteered. Unfortunately, we have observed that this kind of disrespect has come up again and again this year. It seems that we forget the power our own words and actions carry and how they reflect the school’s character. The backpacks that line the hallway, the leftover Fish and Chips smashed into the carpet of the cafeteria, the food containers we forget and the chairs
FORGOTTEN Lately, students seem to act without Hockaday’s second founding cornerstone of courtesy. we leave unpushed from tables in our school and in the people behaviors people will remember us for, and how we reflect in teachers’ classrooms. These who work here. We are all incredibly for- our school when we act in this are all things that, though small, undermine the Courtesy tunate to be at Hockaday. To careless fashion. It doesn’t matwe are supposed to represent say otherwise would not only ter if you can calculate the most at Hockaday. It is no one else’s be false but also ignorant when complicated calculus integral job but our own to ensure that considering the lengths so or compose an award-winning we stash our backpacks in our many women, even today, go to junior research paper if you lockers, clean up after our- just to receive basic education. do not treat courtesy with the selves in the cafeteria and push The way we have been treating same diligence. Courtesy is one of the most our chairs in before leaving the our campus does not show the classroom. To leave our school gratitude that we know each essential lessons learned in our scattered with garbage at the student feels toward our school. youth, and if we lose it before It is of the utmost impor- graduate, why did we bother at end of the day screams that we take no responsibility, or pride, tance that we all examine the all?
THAT’S WHAT SHE SAID
Tiffany & Co. Necklace
NEXT ISSUE: What is the best April Fools’ Day prank? A) The Classic Whoopee Cushion (673719) B) Shock Pen (673720) C) Fire Drill at 4 a.m. (673721) D) Fake phone call to mom saying you were expelled (673722) Text the code of your answer to 22333 by March 31. Standard data and text messaging rates may apply. Sources: Blogspot, Carosello, SMK Flowers & More
Returning to Normal Residence Department readjusts Boarding’s study hall guidelines
Why is it that every time we’re supposed to have chicken parm, disaster strikes?
Overheard sophomore, after early dismissal last Thursday was announced right before Chicken Parmesan would be served for lunch
A boy who doesn’t get a Shakespeare allusion isn’t worth your time!
I feel like I flew across the Atlantic Ocean to start a new life, but now everyone’s following me.
Source: TellReal
29%
Senior Amy Tao p23
As Winter Formal approaches, senior Katie Payne points out what we’re all doing wrong p22
PHOTO FROM THE FOURCAST ARCHIVES
The Fourcast asked readers “What would be your favorite Valentine’s Day gift?” Here are the results.
The subject of how much applying to college would cost had never occurred to me when I first began submitting applications last fall.
Senior Anna Herbelin, who will attend the University of St. Andrews in Scotland this fall
Upper School English teacher Janet Bilhartz
Not sure if I should boycott Grey’s Anatomy because it is set in Seattle.... Senior Kaylee Charlton (@kayleecharlton), a devoted Denver Broncos fan
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Sophomore Vivian Armitage
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his year, a new Residence Department rule was instituted: boarders, with the exception of seniors, were no longer allowed to return to the dorm and work in their rooms during study hall, which is from 8-10 p.m. Monday- Friday. The decision to change the rules of study hall was made in order to prevent girls from sleeping, watching movies or
Skyping during study hours, which was a problem last year. Although we, the boarders, understood the logic behind the decision, it felt unfair. Most of us believed that it was unjust to have our privileges rebuked due to some girls’ mistreatment of study hall. Why should we all be punished for someone’s decision to catch up on “The Vampire Diaries” rather than study for a math test? Along with this disappointing decision came stringent rules dictating where we could study. The designated study areas were the Upper School Library, Upper School and Middle School Commons and Tarry House. These guidelines forced girls, who thrived on solitary study, to sacrifice their productivity and embrace working in a room filled with others. And, unfortunately, due to the limited number of places to study
and 65 girls required to occupy them at the same time, each location became full fast. Along with the crowded conditions came the bipolar air conditioning in the rooms. One never knew whether to wear a sweater or shorts; some resolved just to carry a sweatshirt even though it was August. Not to mention the extra 10 minutes it took to walk to study hall, unpack, pack up and walk back to the dorms. Luckily, after a semester of being inconvenienced during study hall, the rule has been partially overturned. Now, sophomores and juniors in good academic standing are allowed to study in their rooms— with a few strings attached. First, we are no longer allowed to study on or near our beds. A big inconvenience for those of us who like to review Chinese flashcards from the comfort of our quilt. Secondly, we are required to keep our
doors open. Finally, we are not allowed to break Quiet Hours (7 p.m.-7 a.m.), meaning that we are prohibited from making any noises that could disrupt fellow students, which proves to be difficult while our doors are ajar. But even though these new rules are stringent, everyone in boarding was thrilled. Upon being told of the rules’ revision, some girls shrieked, others jumped for joy and one girl even fell out of her chair with excitement. Gone are the days of trudging to study hall bogged down with six textbooks and binders. We shall venture outside while bracing the cold rain, dry heat or bitter cold no more. Never again will we be required to change out of our comfy pajamas and into street clothes. We can finally study in our rooms like every other teenager in America.
perspectives
THE FOURCAST
FEBRUARY 13, 2014
WE LOVE IT, WE LOVE IT NOT
It’s all smiles for the FOUR DAY WEEKEND.
STAFFSTANDOFF
Are Male and Female Olympians Represented Equally?
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Austria Arnold Staff Writer
Manisha Ratakonda Staff Writer
vs.
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Now that the juniors have turned in their JRPs TWITTER IS SAFE again for the rest of us, at least until exams.
VALENTINE’S DAY means that love is in the air, even if it’s not in (all of) our lives.
22/23
he Olympic Games have long been an exhibition of both male and female athletes. While the treatment of the athletes has not always been equal in recent years, women have made huge progress towards equality in the Olympics. However, the same is not true in the media. When I came across the recent Sports Illustrated issue featuring Mikaela Shiffrin, an 18-year-old member of the U.S. Ski Team, I couldn’t help feel excitement over seeing a female Olympian in her country’s uniform on the cover of a major sports magazine. However, as I flipped open the issue I could not find a picture of Shiffrin in action on the slopes. Posing with skis in hand, Shiffrin’s curves continue to be highlighted rather than her athletic ability. Where are the stories about women excelling on the court, in the gym and on the slopes? While the ratio of male to female Olympians is almost equal in Sochi, we are far from equality in the media. According to “Women’s Talk Sports,” a network of blogs about women in sports, ESPN only published five covers with female athletes as the focus of the issue from 2004 to March 2009. In the early months of 1964, Sports Illustrated needed to sell more copies. Thus, the now-annual Swimsuit Edition was born. In recent years, featuring many bikini-clad famous athletes like Serena Williams and Lindsey Vonn, the Swimsuit Issue has sold 10 to 15 times more copies on stands than a regular Sports Illustrated Issue. It’s so well-read that in 2005 the issue sold around $35 million worth of advertising. Not only are people creating sports magazines based solely on females posing in scanty clothing, but loads of people are buying these magazines. While many forms of media can be blamed for their degrading depictions of female athletes, the readers who buy these forms of media are as equally in the wrong. The media will continue to publish what sells, so it is the viewers’ job to decide if men and women are being equally represented. Let’s take time to appreciate the talented female competitors in the Olympic Games and the few media sources that represent them exactly as they are: athletes.
W
hen you think of the London 2012 Olympics, what do you remember? Between the Fierce Five, Missy Franklin and Serena Williams, it’s safe to say that female athletes dominated the headlines. In the 1900 Summer Olympics, only 2 percent of athletes were women, while in this year’s Winter Olympics, 46 percent of the athletes that will be competing for team USA are women, a testament to the change in the Olympics gender distribution. Additionally, during the 2012 Summer Olympics, the women on Team USA won a total of 58 medals while men only won 45 medals. Aside from women’s growing equality within athletic competition, the amount of media coverage of female athletes has also vastly increased. Gymnast Gabby Douglas and her teammates, the Fierce Five, received lots of airtime during and after the 2012 Olympics. Douglas, McKayla Moroney, Aly Raisman, Kyla Ross and Jordyn Wieber are practically household names for their Olympic achievements—after all, they appeared on many popular TV shows including The Today Show and The Late Show with David Letterman. Internationally, women athletes have come a long way, considering that during the 2012 Olympics, every participating country had at least one woman competing. Thanks to the International Olympic Committee, countries such as Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Brunei sent female athletes for the first time. Sarah Attar was the first female track athlete to compete for Saudi Arabia in the Olympics. Attar competed in the 800-meter race while wearing her hijab, marking a historic moment for women on an international scale. Yes, critics have scolded the media for spotlighting women for their sex appeal. But the media also typecasts men: males in the media are almost always displayed as being strong and muscular. As athletes, both women and men suffer equally from problems regarding exploitation in the media. With nearly an equal number of competitors and an extensive series of accomplishments, we cannot wait to see what new achievements will come from the talented female and male athletes at Sochi.
WINTER FORMAL
Three Things We’re All Doing Wrong
We love the FREEZING TEMPERATURES when it means a snowday, but 30 degree weather and our normal routine don’t mix.
If you have logged on to Outlook today, you know what we don’t love. The COMMUNITY SERVICE REPLACEMENT EMAILS have got to stop.
O Senior Katie Payne
A
s I reach the final countdown to my last Winter Formal, I’ve had the chance to reflect on Hockaday’s main social event of the year, and I’ve realized that we approach this night all wrong. One, we need to reevaluate our definition of “date.” Two, we need to refrain from setting such high, unattainable expectations for the night. And three, we need to stop putting down this dance by constantly griping about attending. Before I start with the dates, I’ll first get off my high horse and prove to you that I’ve been there. I’ve felt entirely unsure of who to take and how to ask them many times. I know. It’s stressful. Last year, I dropped homemade cup-
cakes off on my date’s porch like a hit and run—speeding off into the night right after writing my number on the box and ringing the doorbell in an extremely mature ding-dongditch fashion. Yet despite not knowing him well at all, I experienced what a real date should feel like. There’s a certain excitement in inviting someone entirely new or someone you genuinely like as a person, but that anticipation has largely been lost. I honestly think we’ve replaced the concept of a “date” with the idea of taking the “best possible option,” whatever that means, as we attempt to assure our friends that we waited until everyone else had chosen because we “don’t have a preference.” I’ll admit I’ve said that line before, and I never meant it once. In all honesty, how would you feel if a guy said that about taking you? So despite my apprehension leading up to the dance last year (I spent a good hour deciding whether or not to call this guy by his nickname), nothing too exciting, eventful or even embarrassing ended up happening. Was he a nice guy? Absolutely. Did we end up dating after that point? No. Did the dance end up feeling like a
blind date? Yes. But at the end of the night, did it really matter? I took someone I wanted to spend more time with and slightly liked, and shocker! Nothing bad happened. Instead of the “pick your poison” attitude, let’s be more thoughtful and treat this as an opportunity to take someone on a date, as traditional and grandmotherly as that sounds. So I’ll leave that to those of you who belong to Forms I, II and III as some food for thought for next year. I’m sure that at this point, everyone (with the exception of a few seniors) has already sealed the deal and asked their dates. Secondly, I would like to say that much like Americans have such high expectations for Valentine’s Day and New Year’s, Hockaday girls secretly hold Winter Formal to an extremely high standard, though we rarely express our hopes aloud. But we should all remind ourselves that it’s a dance to mingle with teachers and classmates. Let’s keep it real. It’s not a teen club or a rave that requires those neon American Apparel dresses (don’t act like you haven’t worn one), and I hope that it never becomes that. Day-
dream accordingly, and don’t make Winter Formal out to be something it should not and never will be. Now lastly, we need to resist from constantly placing Homecoming on a pedestal and start referring to Winter Formal as something other than Hoco’s lesser version. I’ve heard girls, including myself, complain about how no one ever wants to attend. But how do we expect to change everyone’s perceptions if we ourselves can’t stop insulting it? Because of this commonly seen lack of enthusiasm, I affectionately laugh at the freshmen’s rumored pact not to ask until Feb. 1 instead of calling it juvenile. While that agreement didn’t seem to work out, or even exist, it reminds us all of what it used to be like. And perhaps I’m just an old senior with a premature nostalgia for high school, but that kind of excitement and obsessive planning reminds me of how I felt three years ago—hopeful. Until I heard upperclassmen complain, I waited for that night in February with a great deal of anticipation. It starts with you, juniors and seniors. So let’s make this Winter Formal one to remember.
perspectives
hockadayfourcast.org
THE FOURCAST
FEBRUARY 13, 2014
The High Price of Higher Education
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MANAGING EDITOR
Katie Payne
WEB EDITOR
Mary Clare Beytagh BUSINESS MANAGER
Anisha Anand
TION BY ILLUSTRA EVA
RIGORY
es its applicants $90. Additionally, each SAT score report costs $11.25. Perhaps I’ve lived too much of a sheltered life, but the subject of how much applying to college would cost had never occurred to me when I first began submitting applications last fall. Between college visits and standardized testing classes, I always knew that the college application process could be very expensive for some students. But visiting a college campus or taking test preparation classes were, at the end of the day, optional. What most surprised me was that the steep fees included in the actual applications and test score reports were not, in fact, so optional. Before I go any further, let me acknowledge that I understand that these fees are necessary for the maintenance of the admissions department of each university. But consider the thousands of millions of dollars of debt that the majority of college students are facing today. Can high school seniors afford to spend so much money on a college they haven’t been accepted to yet before they have even set foot on its campus? According to a survey of the Class of 2014 conducted in January, 92 percent of seniors believe that applying to college is too expensive. Even filling out financial forms, such as the CSS/Financial Aid Profile, which requires students to pay $25 for the first school they submit the form to and $16 for each addi-
LUDA G
F
Tiffany Le
Senior Amy Tao
irst semester for a Hockaday senior is sometimes thought of as a period of individuality, a time when she’ll write college essays that reflect her personality, decide what field of study to concentrate in and select which of the thousands of universities to submit applications to. Yet although the experience of applying to college varies from applicant to applicant, the steps within the process remain essentially the same. Everyone has to write essays, everyone has to take standardized testing and everyone has to face the costs of applying to these schools. In January, I submitted the last of my 10 college applications, which, including the SAT and SAT Subject score reports required by each school I applied to, amounted to a grand total of $961.50. This number does not include the cost of financial aid forms, standardized testing classes, college visits and collegerelated books my family has had to pay for over the last few years. Hockaday’s college counselors recommend seniors apply to between seven and 10 colleges, which means that, based on the average college application fee of $38.39 as of spring last year according to U.S. News, an applicant would hypothetically spend between $269 and $384 on college applications alone. Many of the highly-ranked schools that Hockaday students often apply to charge much more than this amount; for example, Stanford charg-
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
tional school, demands money. Is it just me or is it ironic that students who choose to apply for financial aid must pay money to do so? There are fee waivers available for students from low-income families or who academically distinguish themselves from other applicants. This fall, I made the mistake of automatically deleting emails and throwing away paper mail from colleges that didn’t seem like they actually pertained to me (Every upperclassman understands just how vociferous and aggressive colleges that promote themselves over emails can get). The one time I did open a letter from a college I decided to apply to, the admissions office offered me a fee waiver if I applied. At the time, because the cost of applying to college simply wasn’t on my mind, I disregarded the letter and forgot about it until about two months later, when the reality of how expensive the college application process was hit me. The process of attempting to obtain college application fee waivers is an indefinite one. The CollegeBoard website explains student eligi
COPY EDITOR
Emily Wechsler NEWS EDITOR
Amy Tao
Charlsea Lamb FEATURES EDITOR
Courtney Le
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR
Alexis Espinosa
SPORTS & WELLNESS EDITOR
Avita Anand
PERSPECTIVES EDITOR
Molly Montgomery
PHOTOGRAPHY EDITOR
Alaina Rodriguez
GRAPHICS EDITOR
Sydney Yonack
PROJECTS MANAGER
Gretchen O’Brien VIDEO EDITOR
Catherine Jiang STAFF WRITERS
Noor Adatia, Vivian Armitage, Austria Arnold, Kate Clement, Claire Fletcher, Faith Isbell, Elie MacAdams, Inaara Padani, Megan Philips, Manisha Ratakonda, Sunila Steephen, Erin Thomas STAFF PHOTOGRAPHERS
Shelby Anderson, Miranda Helm, Audrey Kim, Dominique Sung, Emily Yeh, Grace Zacarias STAFF ARTISTS
Sarah Chan, Kate Cooper, Luda Grigoryeva, Anna Herbelin, AnneMarie Hwang, Audrey Kim, Cathy Ma, Katherine Magee, Sofia Mira, Lily Sumrow, Mary Zhong ADVISER
Ana Rosenthal
Re: “Culinary Media Inspires Hockaday Community” by Megan Philips (Dec. 19, 2013)
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Dorothy Zhang Form III
Molly Montgomery
ASST. NEWS
bility in quite ambiguous terms: “Eligibility is determined by family income or by participation in a public assistance or other program for economically disadvantaged families. The income guidelines are based on those of the federal free and reduced-price lunch program.” Because Hockaday doesn’t follow the public school lunch program, a Hockaday senior seeking financial assistance would have to fill out all of the necessary paperwork only to possibly receive fee waivers. Furthermore, each student can only receive and use up to four “Request for Waiver of College Application Fee” forms. This guideline severely limits the number of schools she can apply to. I only wish that in the so-called land of opportunity, applying to college was less expensive. Considering the rising price of tuition and the millions of students who are enrolling in U.S. colleges, surely universities can afford to lower application fees. Colleges are businesses, and there is no customer as eager as a prospective student.
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
ho doesn’t enjoy great food? It is true that Pot Noodle is delicious and handy, but why do we choose to ignore the golden chance to enjoy the art of the cooking process? Why do we choose to forsake our stoves and our culinary potential for the lure of convenience? It is not because we hate cooking; it is because our penchant for instant food diminishes our patience to prepare food from scratch and blocks the way to develop our latent passion in cooking. Food is a pleasure to be enjoyed, but all too often it’s just sustenance. We need a spark to kindle our inspiration for quality dining. Culinary media, which includes chef shows, recipe websites and cooking films, is an awesome way to ignite gastronomic enthusiasm. It would motivate us to cook delectable food for ourselves, for our families, and for a better fed society. Imagine how tasty our world will be when it is filled with innovative dishes that are cooked by us, a “Gourmand Generation.” Let’s drop the Pot Noodle and pick up the spatula!
PUBLIC RELATIONS DIRECTOR
Better news than your newsfeed. Updated daily.
www.hockadayfourcast.org
EDITORIAL POLICY The Fourcast is written primarily for students of the Hockaday Upper School, its faculty and staff. The Fourcast has a press run of 1,200 and is printed by Dallas Offset, Inc. It is distributed free of charge to the Hockaday community. Businesses who wish to advertise in The Fourcast should contact Anisha Anand, Business Manager, at aanand@ hockaday. org. We reserve the right to refuse any advertising which is deemed inappropriate to the Hockaday community. Opinions will be clearly marked and/or will appear in the perspectives section. Commentaries are the expressed opinion of the author and do not necessarily reflect that of The Fourcast staff, its adviser or any member of the Hockaday community. Unsigned editorials that appear on the opinions page will reflect the official position of The Fourcast, but not necessarily the position of the Hockaday community. The Fourcast staff may cover student, staff, faculty or alumnae deaths as the staff is made aware. We reserve the right not to cover a death based on relevance, timeliness and circumstance. Corrections and clarifications from previous issues will be found as designated in the news section. Any questions or concerns should be taken up with Tiffany Le, Editor-in-Chief, at tle@ hockaday.org.
The Hockaday School 11600 Welch Road Dallas, Texas 75229
hockadayfourcast.org
THE FOURCAST
FEBRUARY 13, 2014
photo essay
Junior Grace Zacarias Traverses Ancient Incan Territory Over holiday break, I went with my family to Peru. We stayed in Lima, Cusco and Machu Picchu. My favorite place we visited was a llama farm just outside the Sacred Valley. Besides the animals, walking around Machu Picchu was another highlight—it’s not everyday you get to see a wonder of the world!
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¿CÓMO LLAMA?
To read more about Grace’s photos, scan this QR code with your smartphone.